This new issue of DELUS: The Journal of the Institute of Landscape and Urban Studies, entitled “Chasing Water,” brings together contributions on the topic of water. Nine essays invite us to explore different manifestations of the element. DELUS uses the term “chasing” to highlight the role of water in shaping and sustaining landscapes and urban environments, and the ongoing efforts to direct its course. From the transformation of English moorland and marshland to intricate irrigation systems in the Mediterranean and to the ecological impact of water harvesting schemes in Chile and Australia, each contribution explores the ways in which water is tracked, obstructed, or contained. “Chasing Water” vividly reflects the contradictory challenge of capturing, storing, and distributing the element in a world where it is theoretically abundant, but in many places inaccessible.

DELUS is an annual publication that explores emerging themes, topics and methods from landscape and urban studies. Founded in 2022 by the Institute for Landscape and Urban Studies (LUS) at ETH Zurich, it brings academic knowledge to a broader audience.