This toolkit: Stem van het water helps you to see the IJ from a new perspective. It helps you to be more conscious of your surrounding and get a deeper understanding of the water.
Download the publication (in dutch)
The IJ is an important place for Amsterdam's residents. From fish to water snails and from coot to people, they all meet in and on the water.
But humans sometimes lose sight of the other living beings around them. The municipality of Amsterdam, for instance, fishes about a tonne of plastic out of the IJ every year. In an era of climate change and biodiversity loss, the relationship between humans and their environment is in need of renewal.
From economic to ecological view
When we think about the IJ as a waterway, we quickly think of economic and safety aspects: how do we create value through supporting commercial shipping? And how do we combine that with recreation and safety? Focus then is on cruise ships, cargo ships, the ferry, tourboats etcetera.
But the IJ is so much more diverse and serves more than just human interests. The IJ is a habitat for many animals and plants, it is a commons and has its own identity.
How do we bring together the different interests of nature, economy and water safety? We have to share space and are an active part of the ecosystem. Therefore, it is important to ask ourselves: what do we optimise for? And who should have a voice in designing our environment?
Toolkit: Stem van het water
This toolkit: Stem van het water (voice of the water) offers tools to listen to the different voices on, in and around the IJ: from human users to the living environment (animals, plants, fungi) and the water itself. They encourage you to develop new perspectives, new relationships or to improve existing ones. Together we can recognise the polyphony of the IJ and build a green, safe future for the IJ.