In 2018, the UN found that 'Too many people still lack access to safely managed water supplies and sanitation facilities. Water scarcity, flooding and lack of proper wastewater management also hinder social and economic development. Increasing water efficiency and improving water management are critical to balancing the competing and growing water demands from various sectors and users.' Amid rising recognition of the impact of climate change on water and sanitation, and in the midst of a heated national debate about water management, this seminar will address SDG6 through the lens of both the local and the global.
Panellists
Naomi Francis - Chair
Naomi is an engineer and development consultant, working and researching in water, sanitation, hygiene and health in low-income settings. She is currently completing her PhD at the University of Melbourne's Nossal Institute for Global Health, on water, sanitation and hygiene in remote villages in Timor-Leste. Naomi is also a research fellow at the University of Melbourne's School of Social and Political Sciences exploring a women's empowerment program (MAMPU) in Indonesia in partnership with the University of Gadjah Mada. She tutors and lectures in several of the International Development and Global Health subjects offered at the University of Melbourne and RMIT.
Professor Jega Jegatheesan
Jega's research focuses on integrated water management and recently he has co-edited a book on "Urban Stormwater & Flood Management - Enhancing the Liveability of Cities" published by Springer. Jega is founder and Chairman of the international conference series on Challenges in Environmental Science & Engineering (CESE) held annually since 2008. He has over 300 publications including more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and five edited books. Jega is also the managing guest editor of 30 special issues in peer-reviewed journals, an editorial board member of two Elsevier journals and one prestigious open access journal on membranes. Additionally, he is the editor-in-chief of a book series entitled Applied Environmental Science and Engineering (AESE) for a Sustainable Future published by Springer and has been instrumental for publishing 8 books since 2015.
Meredith Hickman
Meredith Hickman is Head of Strategy at WaterAid Australia. Meredith is a development professional dedicated to the global movement for clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene for everyone, everywhere by 2030. As Head of Strategy at WaterAid, she manages a team of technical experts and business development staff driving the strategic direction of WaterAid's work in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Prior to joining WaterAid Meredith supported initiatives around governance, accountability, and decentralisation. She holds a Master of Internal Development from Sydney University.
Fred Hooper
Fred Hooper is a Murrawarri man from the Murrawarri Nation situated between Bokhara and Warrego Rivers which straddles what is now known as the QLD and NSW boarders in the Western part of NSW and Southwest of QLD. He joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1979 at the age of 17 and served six years on both surface ships and submarines. He left the Navy in 1985 and worked in the Commonwealth Public Service. After leaving the Public Service worked in a number of First Nations organisation. He was responsible for the Murrawarri Nation declaring their continued Independence from the Crown of Great Britain. He is the Chair of the Murrawarri Peoples Council and the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations who represents 22 Sovereign First Nations of the Northern Murray Darling Basin. He has worked tirelessly over the past 10 years to secure Water Rights for First Nations and their peoples in the Northern Murray Darling Basin.
Accessibility information
An accessibility/mobility access map is available to download here (please scroll to the end of the webpage). RMIT's Building 1 can be accessed via the adjacent Building 21. Gender neural bathrooms are available at the venue. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like further information.
About the Jean Monnet Sustainable Development Goals Network
The Jean Monnet SDG Network brings together researchers from the EU Centre at RMIT University, the National Centre for Research on Europe, the University of Canterbury (NZ), The University of Glasgow, the Centre for European Studies, Australian National University (ANU), and the European Union Centre in Singapore (NUS).
The Network formalises relationships amongst researchers, policy think tanks and Non-Government Organisations who share a primary interest in enhancing the effective contribution of the EU to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Asia Pacific. By strengthening collaboration amongst researchers and policy makers, the Network promotes a more effective evidence-base for EU institutions to engage with nations in the region to implement the SDGs. Its core question is: how can European Union integration be more effective in supporting the implementation of the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific than would be possible for individual Member States? How can this role be developed further?
Presented by the EU Centre and Social and Global Studies Centre at RMIT University. The Jean Monnet SDG Network is co-funded by the Jean Monnet Activities Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. Project number: 587660-Epp-1-2017-1-AU-EPPJMO-NETWORK.
The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
