DELUS Issue 1 adopts a water-centric lens through the notion of “Chasing Water” and presents a collection of writings forming an anthology. Nine essays delve into various bodies of water, inviting us to explore their diverse manifestations. Using the term “chasing,” DELUS seeks to highlight water’s role in shaping and sustaining landscapes and urban environments, as well as the continuous efforts to influence its course. From the transformation of England’s Fens to intricate irrigation systems in the Mediterranean and the environmental consequences of water harvesting infrastructures in Chile and Australia, each contribution explores the ways in which water may be pursued or repelled. Seemingly contradictory, “Chasing Water” reflects on the challenge of capturing, storing, and distributing water in a world where it can be abundant yet 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.