Water is Life: Angel of the Waters Ceremony

Water and Heritage: Connecting Past, Present and Future
An Official Side Event to the UN 2023 Water Conference

On the afternoon of March 21, 2023, the eve of World Water Day and the opening of the Mid-Term Review of the United Nations Decade of Action, the Central Park Conservancy will host a ceremony at the Angel of the Waters Fountain at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park (at 72nd Street). The ceremony will celebrate the tangible and intangible value and enduring significance of water-related cultural heritage around the world and highlight living heritage stewardship challenges of today and tomorrow. The ceremony also will recognize New York City’s more than 180-year history of managing water and water related heritage.

At the ceremony, the Angel of Waters Fountain will be marked as a heritage site for water inspiration, and the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Water & Heritage will award the Water & Heritage Shield to New York City representatives to raise public awareness of the city’s water-related heritage.