The New Water Culture Foundation (FNCA, Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua) is an Iberian (Spain and Portugal) non-profit organization created in 2002 composed by over 200 outstanding members from academia, research institutions, public administration, private sector, stakeholders and citizens, aiming at promoting a change towards a more sustainable water management and a new water culture.

The process leading to the creation of the FNCA started as the result of the “Iberian Congress on Water Management and Planning”, held in Zaragoza (Spain) in1998, with the support of more than 70 Spanish and Portuguese Universities. The New Water Culture acknowledges the ecological, social, economic, ethical, political, and emotional values embodied in aquatic ecosystems, as well as the emergence of new water actors demanding transparency and a wide public participation in water decisions.

The FNCA seeks a more comprehensive water analysis and understanding with the application of inter and trans-disciplinary approaches, the integration of ecological, economic, social and cultural dimensions, an improved water governance and citizen participation and a wide cross-collaboration among researchers, stakeholders, decision-makers and the public opinion.

The FNCA carries out many scientific-technical activities, such as the “Iberian Congress on Water Management and Planning”, held each two years, scientific-technical workshops and publications and the FNCA involvement in national and international research projects. It also carries out activities with concerned citizen movements, water managers, policy makers and the general public, carries out education and training actions and promotes artistic and recreational activities which contribute to increase the social support to the conservation of water-related ecosystems and associated natural and cultural heritage.

The FNCA is member of the following international entities and networks: World Water Council, the Aquanet Europe Foundation, the Euro-Mediterranean Foundation “Anna Lindh” for the Dialogue among Cultures, the International Network WATERLAT-GOBACIT, the ZINNAE network on urban water cycles, the European network Netwerc H20, on water gobernance at local scales and two Action Groups of EIP (European Water Innovation) Water: NatureWat, on Nature-based technologies for innovation in water management and RiverRes, on river restoration.

New Water Culture Foundation (FNCA)