The Board of Trustees of the International Centre for Traditional Irrigation in Europe (IZTB) met in St. Urban in mid-January 2026 to make groundbreaking decisions to strengthen its structure, its network-oriented culture and thus the intangible cultural heritage according to UNESCO in the field of European irrigation landscapes. Three new members were appointed to the Foundation Board: Karina Liechti from the Swiss Landscape Conservation Foundation, Pirmin Hilsendegen from IG Queichwiesen (Rhineland-Palatinate) and Marc Reuter from the public service in Wallonia, Belgium. Together with Eric Brinckmann from the Netherlands, they are now working more directly to ensure links between IZTB and local organisations across Europe, and increasingly in additional countries too. For the time being, from 2026 to 2028, IZTB can count on the support of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, making it the recognised organisation in the field of traditional irrigation throughout Switzerland and Europe.
Press release: IZTB strengthens the structure and culture surrounding irrigation in several ways (.pdf)