Water scarcity brings with it new and complex challenges. Without water, much of life on earth is simply not possible. The damage caused by water scarcity is already visible in nature and in life in general; many species of plants and animals perish while biotopes become impoverished. The food chain is unbalanced, endangering organic life forms and sources. The World Economic Forum had stated that water scarcity was the main threat to global development and, according to the World Resources Institute, 37 countries were facing instability in their freshwater supply. Another major risk is sea-level rise, which threatens the lowest lands. There is widespread talk of flooding, pollution and water scarcity. The drought of summer 2018 in the northern hemisphere is one of the features of a new era that must now be anticipated.

For both man and nature, water availability is no longer a given in the face of population growth, rising living standards and climate change. The water cycle is formed by a series of interconnected natural processes that are embodied in different forms: clouds, plants, trees, groundwater, lake and sea water play a role in this cycle, from distribution to consumption. Agriculture, industry, mobility, sanitation, waste generation - the sum of human activities - disrupt and degrade the water cycle.

In the Age of Post-Drought explores how modest or ambitious design projects, artistic, (bio)technological or hybrid methods can contribute to research on water issues. It is analysed from the point of view of its scarcity, pollution, floods, desertification, etc... 

Designers : Assemble Mass / Jason Kim ; Marco Barotti ; Bio-Integrated Design Lab / Shneel Malik ; Creating Water Foundation ; CTRLZAK ; Isabelle Daëron ; Chloé Dailly ; Frederik de Wilde ; Gabriele Diamanti ; Zoro Feigl ; Andy Gracie ; Lennart Lahuis ; LOLA Landscape Architects ; Ulysse Martel ; Sara Nuytemans ; Julien Poidevin ; Francesca Sarti ; Robertina Šebjanič ; Niels Stomps ; Studio Sway ; Jólan van der Wiel ; Jane Withers Studio