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Engineering

Engineering the Future of Water

About the episode

Too much water in the form of flooding, or too little water in the form of drought. Two of the biggest global challenges when it comes to water are at completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

»Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ Associate Professor Kristen Splinter, and water engineering executive Daniel Lambert join STEMM journalist Neil Martin to talk about the potential solutions to those crucial problems.

They discuss the importance of ensuring the ever-increasing global population has safe water to drink, and enough water to also grow suitable amounts of food, while also analysing issues around flooding and sea level rises.
Kristen Splinter

Associate Professor Kristen Splinter is an ARC Future Fellow and currently serves as the Managing Director of the Water Research Laboratory (WRL) at »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ Sydney.

The WRL is one of the leading physical laboratories in water engineering within the world, tackling a wide range of problems from groundwater, hydraulic engineering, ecological restoration, and coastal engineering.

A/Prof. Splinter also is the Deputy Chair of the Engineers Australia NSW Coasts, Oceans, and Ports Engineering Panel (COPEP).

She has a strong desire to create a more equitable and diverse community of water engineers and frequently sits on and organizes panels related to diversity in engineering.
Daniel Lambert

Daniel Lambert is a Partner and Managing Director of Legacie (formerly Pittwater Capital) and the Chief Executive Officer of WaterStart Australia.

Legacie is a water infrastructure developer focused on unlocking economic growth by enabling decarbonisation projects, while WaterStart is a non-profit organisation that connects innovative technology companies with water agencies and major water consumers in need of innovative solutions to enhance operations of their business.

As an Adjunct Professor at »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ, Daniel is a dynamic engineer with a passion for innovation, technology and developing sustainable water solutions. He has worked in over 25 countries and delivered leading first-of-a-kind solutions for recycled water, water resilience and WASH projects.

Daniel was the 2021 Sir John Holland Civil Engineer of the Year and the 2022 Professional Environmental Engineer of the Year.

  • ³Õ´Ç¾±³¦±ð´Ç±¹±ð°ùÌý 00:05

    Welcome to »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ Engineering the Future podcast, a series where we'll speak to academics and industry leaders who are embracing cutting edge ideas and pushing the boundaries of what is truly possible. In this episode, we'll explore what innovations are needed to solve the simultaneous problems of too much or too little water at any time around the world. We'll hear from leading experts in the field, Associate Professor Kristen Splinter and Daniel Lambert, as they explain how rapid population growth and urbanization is making it harder than ever to deal with extreme floods on one hand and extreme droughts on the other, they'll analyze exciting potential solutions such as harvesting large amounts of safe drinking water direct from the atmosphere, as well as calling for more education to help everyone understand the true value of water. So join us, as we discover how world changing action starts with fearless thinking in Engineering the Future of Water.

    Neil Martin  01:09

    Hello and welcome to Engineering the Future of Water. My name is Neil Martin, and I'm a journalist and STEMM communicator working in the Faculty of Engineering at »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ. Joining me today to discuss what changes we can expect in water engineering over the next 30 years is Associate Professor Kristen Splinter, Managing Director of the Water Research Laboratory at »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ Sydney. The Water Research Laboratory is one of the leading global facilities tackling a wide range of problems involving groundwater, hydraulic engineering, ecological restoration and coastal engineering. Kristen is also deputy chair of the Engineers Australia, New South Wales, coast oceans and ports engineering panel, and has also served on the executive committee for the International Women in coastal Geoscience and engineering. Hi Kristen,

    Kristen Splinter  02:04

    Hi Neil. Thanks for having me.

    Neil Martin  02:06

    It's a pleasure. Also with us is Daniel Lambert, a dynamic engineer with a passion for innovation, technology and the development of sustainable water solutions. Daniel is a partner and Managing Director of Pittwater capital, a water infrastructure developer focused on unlocking economic growth by enabling decarbonisation projects. He is also Chief Executive Officer of Waterstart Australia, which is a nonprofit organization that connects technology companies with water agencies and major water consumers in need of innovative solutions. Daniel has worked in over 25 countries and delivered leading first of a kind, solutions for recycled water, water resilience and wash projects related to water, sanitation and hygiene. Welcome, Daniel.

    Daniel Lambert  02:57

    Thanks, Neil, great to be here.

    Neil Martin  02:59

    Kristen, if I might start with you. It seems to me that when we talk about the future of water, there are predominantly two very different challenges that need to be addressed at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. On the one hand, global sea levels are rising, I believe, at the rate of roughly three millimeters per year, combined with an increase in the frequency and intensity of rainfall events and river flooding, especially here in Australia. So that's a problem with too much water. But at the other end of the spectrum, there's also a water scarcity problem, whereby 55 million people around the world are estimated by the World H