#5 Water

Water privatisation in Chile: a village fights for its water

In hardly any other country is this resource so completely in private hands. In Patagonia, one community is fighting back against the consequences.

Water

MS Norröna: by ferry across the North Atlantic to Iceland

From Denmark via the Faroe Islands to the far north: a passage through the rugged beauty of the sea.

A crew member stands in the interior of the MS Norröna, where several empty tables and chairs stand in front of large windows. The soft light of early evening creates a dreamy atmosphere.

Water

Burkinis at the swimming pool: the weight of other people’s stares

Just going for a swim – and being watched the whole time. Our author tells of prejudice at the poolside.

Water

‘It’s like dancing in the water’

Flexibility, timing and blind trust: how a demanding sport shapes young athletes.

Water

The fisherwoman of Memmingen: the row over the Fischertag

Can a single woman break open a centuries-old male ritual? A small town in the Allgäu is struggling to find an answer.

Water

Mineral water marketing: how water turns into gold

With bold promises and designer bottles, companies turn a basic foodstuff into a luxury good. An investigation.

Water

Cold and deep: how water shapes Iceland’s culture

Surrounded by ocean, criss-crossed by glaciers, enlivened by hot springs: one element shapes the identity of an entire nation.

Water

Lake Neusiedl: tracing the salt pans

In 2022 Austria’s largest lake was at risk of drying up for the first time in 150 years. Our photographer Florian Sulzer investigated the causes.

Water

New shores: floating islands between art and ecology

Floating platforms like the ‘Zukunst’ in Hannover create green open spaces – a concept that is catching on around the world.

A houseboat floats towards the viewer on a calm river lined with green trees. In the background rises Hannover’s Ihmezentrum tower block.

Without water, there is no life. Still, people fight over it, sell it at a high price or fear it. Our fifth focus topic follows water from Chile to the North Atlantic.

In Chile, a village fights against the privatisation of its water. In Memmingen, a dispute breaks out over who is allowed into the town stream on fishing day. The ferry MS Norröna crosses the North Atlantic, and Iceland shows how water shapes an entire culture.

One story asks how mineral water becomes a luxury product. Another tells of women who go to the swimming pool in a burkini – and carry the weight of other people’s stares.

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