The role of water in history and development

The conference 'The Age of Uncertainty: Climate change, water systems and social development', February 16-18, 2011, Bergen, will bring together leading researchers from different disciplines and countries to summarise what we know and what we do not know regarding the relationship between climate, social development, and environment, with a special focus on the Modern Age. The conference will also present research findings, analytical approaches and conceptual tools that are of general interest and that have been developed by a research group at Centre for Advanced Study dealing with 'Understanding the Role of Water in History and Development'. The three day programme will include: - Day I: Climate, development and geopolitics. - Day II: Climate change , health and social development. - Day III: Climate, water and theoretical and methodological issues: A PhD seminar. The six volume book series A History of Water will be launched at the conference. Three new volumes in the series will be based on this conference: - A History of Water, Series 3, Vol. 1: Climate Change and Water Systems. - A History of Water, Series 3, Vol. 2: Water, Health and Social Development. - A History of Water, Series 3, Vol. 3: Water and Law. As part of the conference, ten PhD students from the Nordic countries will be invited to present and discuss their projects together with a panel of senior researchers. This research course will initiate new and expand networks by further institutionalising water studies, and it will also serve as a basis for recruitment of younger researchers. As part of the research group 'Understanding the role of water in history and development' at The Centre for Advanced Study, Oestigaard studied the changing ideas of water particularly on the Briti sh Isles in the period after the Reformation. I.B. Tauris will publish the book 'Water, Christianity and the Spirit of Capitalism' under the condition of external funding to subsidy the publishing cost.