Voices of Water #2

Water as a Vehicle for Dialogue: What Can the Aflaj and Bisses Teach Us About How to Preserve, Pass On, and Bring to Life Our Water Heritage? Following the exhibition *Water Paths* – The Aflaj of the Sultanate of Oman, organized in partnership with the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Bern, this second “Voices of Water” event continues the discussion on the multifunctionality of water by fostering a dialogue between two water cultures: the aflaj of Oman and the bisses of Valais. The aflaj of Oman and the bisses of Valais demonstrate how very different societies have built collective systems to share a limited and essential resource.Comparing them allows us to explore a central question for the rest of the series: how can we preserve water management systems inherited from the past while maintaining their ability to thrive, evolve, and meet contemporary needs? 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Welcome6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: PresentationsComparing Perspectives from Oman and Valais: Aflaj, Bisses, Living Heritage, and Water Governance7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.: Roundtable Discussion: Aflaj and bisses: What legacies can guide tomorrow’s water management? Moderator: Julien von Roten, journalist – Anchor at RTS – Radio Télévision Suisse 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM: Cocktail reception and networkingFree, registration required by November 14, 2026, at: contact@musee-des-bisses.ch SPEAKERSLeïla KebirAssociate Professor of Tourism and Regional Economics at the University of Lausanne and Director of the Institute of Geography and Sustainability (IGD). Her research focuses on territorial resources, the commons, and the dynamics of sustainable development. She is particularly interested in ways of harnessing resources and forms of collective organization that contribute to the vitality of territories.Gaëtan MorardThe Bisses of Valais: Living Heritage and Collective Water Management Systems. An ethnobiologist and permaculturist, he is the director-curator and scientific director of the Valais Bisses Museum and president of the Association des Bisses du Valais. His work focuses in particular on knowledge, practices, and the relationships between societies and their environment.Emmanuel ReynardWater, Landscape, Heritage, and Contemporary Transformations.A professor of physical geography at the University of Lausanne, he is a specialist in mountain water management.

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