WATER AS THE FUNDAMENTAL CONDIT OF LIFE IN THE MULTISPECIES COMMUNITY OF HARIE

Abstract

In urban areas, the flow of water has been hidden and its ecological role annulled. The extensive artificialisation of the environment, a result of economic growth, and progress has changed our relationship with water. To address this current reality, there is a strong case to be made for the integration of hybrid or mixed models of water management that include mechanisms which allow urban populations to interact directly with water. This paper focuses on water as an abiotic element that mediates multispecies encounters. It adopts a case study approach and focuses on the kabata system of pools found in the Japanese village of Harie. In this system, water is reused and purified through collaboration between different species, with carp playing a primary role. Further synergies promote biodiversity and benefit the entire local ecosystem. The analysis of this case is complemented by dialogue with other examples of relational architectures that identifies patterns and transferable learnings. Within this framework, an amphibious urbanism emerges as a potential paradigm for the reintegration of water into cities. This would offer valuable opportunities to increase resilience and transform infrastructure into a device integrating more-than-human relationships, able to address ecological crises in urban environments.