The Future of Water in Berlin and Brandenburg: New project encourages dialogue between the public and politicians

Dry soil, heavy rainfall or a ‘sponge city’: changes in water management affect the entire capital region. This new project aims to gather local community knowledge on water and feed it directly into the political debate.

Dry soil, heavy rainfall or a ‘sponge city’: changes in water management affect the entire capital region. The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s new project, ‘Wasserzukunft. Stimmen aus Berlin und Brandenburg’ (Water Future: Voices from Berlin and Brandenburg), aims to gather local community knowledge on water and feed it directly into the political debate. A new series of workshops is therefore now launching at adult education centres in Berlin and Brandenburg. The project’s partner is the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment (SenMVKU).

Water is a key issue for the future in Berlin and Brandenburg. A growing population, the climate crisis and the consequences for the water balance resulting from structural change in Lusatia pose major challenges for the water supply. But how do local people experience these changes? What concerns them when it comes to water? And where do they see a need for action in their neighbourhood or community?

From photos to political dialogue

The project fosters participation: people in Berlin and Brandenburg are invited to share their personal observations and perspectives on the topic – whether it be falling water levels, changes to beloved swimming lakes or in their allotment gardens – as photos or videos on the digital platform Natur der Dinge. In over 20 workshops taking place between 2026 and 2028 in various Berlin districts and Brandenburg municipalities, the challenges facing the capital region will be examined and the contributions discussed and evaluated.

What makes this project special is that the collected impressions and demands will form the basis for closing events, where participants will engage in dialogue with figures from politics and academia. The results will also be directly fed back to the administration as recommendations.

A participatory collection at the Museum of Natural History as a forum for social change 

“Berlin and Brandenburg’s water supply faces major challenges. We must tackle this and shape the future of water together,” says Johannes Vogel, Director General of the Museum of Natural History. “As a museum, we bring different perspectives into dialogue. We create a space where the everyday experiences of Berliners and Brandenburgers count and give them a voice that is heard right up to the political level.”

Everyone is welcome to join in 

Everyone is invited to share their own observations and perspectives on the collection platform and to take part in the workshops. Participation is free and open to anyone interested. No prior knowledge is required. The workshop series starts in February 2026.

Upcoming dates (selection):

Further information on registration and the digital collection can be found at: www.tinyurl.com/wasserzukunft

About the project: This project by the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin is funded by the LOTTO Foundation Berlin. It collects cultural knowledge from residents of Berlin and Brandenburg to create a basis for the equitable management of water resources.

The project is partnered by the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment. Further collaboration takes place with the Berlin Adult Education Centres, the Potsdam-Mittelmark Adult Education Centre, KWB Competence Centre for Water Berlin, the Rainwater Agency, Prof. Dr Petra Dobner, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, and Wassernetz Berlin (participants: a tip: tap e. V., Berlin State Working Group for Nature Conservation (BLN), German Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND), Grüne Liga, NABU Berlin Regional Association).