Collaborative Water Program student, Danielle Lindamood, was accepted into the "Water Innovation Lab - India" program in the fall of 2016. It brought together 35 students and water practitioners from around the world for a two-week field experience in locations around India. She spent two weeks overseas exploring different water problems and contexts, and presenting innovative ideas for solutions.
Below she has written about her experience in India and her experience in being a part of the Water Institute’s Collaborative Water Program.
An inside look a the Collaborative Water Program
By: Danielle Lindamood
Dedicating my life and studies to the world of water is one of the most beautiful accidents that has ever happened to me.
This accidental foray into water began for me in 2014. With a background in global studies, I found myself working as a sustainable development intern in The Gambia with low-tech waste water systems and community-based water solutions. That summer, water began to seep into my life and my worldview. I worked with communities to better understand their water needs and connected with local NGOs to design sustainable water solutions. I was also able to work with the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights to develop their literature around the right to water and sanitation.
As I returned to North America, the world around me began to transform as I experienced my surroundings through a more water-focused lens and when I committed to pursuing a Master’s degree in the sustainability field, I knew it would involve water in one way or another.
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The Collaborative Water Program (CWP) brings together students from diverse academic backgrounds who are all completing research that involves water, including disciplines like hydrology, political science, biology, chemistry, ecology, sociology, economics, architecture, geography, and more. Completing the certificate program not only helped me form a deeper appreciation for the importance of my own expertise, but it also enabled me to broaden my water knowledge, refine my ability to communicate across disciplines, and ultimately understand the dire need for collaborative work on water issues.
While having more knowledge and communication abilities has been helpful, understanding the need for collaboration on water issues has opened my eyes to numerous opportunities. In many ways, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) – universal access to clean water and sanitation – is a universal validation on the need for collaboration in water issues across human and environmental systems. My research engages with the achievability of SDG 6, especially surrounding the ways we govern water as a resource and human right. During my field work in India, I sought out opportunities to hear more perspectives and develop relationships across different areas of water management and governance. More recently, I participated in Waterlution’s Water Innovation Lab – India where I was able to explore diverse perspectives on water issues in India with a group of 50 people working across all areas of the water world.
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Overall, the lessons the CWP taught me have translated directly into my research, network, and career goals, but it has also made me optimistic about the future of our water resources. Water is inherently complex because of the way it pervades both human and environmental systems. Ultimately, no one person working in a water-related field is going to be able to solve every water issue. By stepping outside of my comfort zone and being willing to explore the value of disciplines and relationships outside my areas of expertise, I now see the immense power in collaborating on solutions to our complex water problems. The journey will undoubtedly be more fruitful and our goals more attainable in working together towards a more sustainable water future.
About the author:
If you're interested in learning more about Danielle's work at the University of Waterloo, feel free to contact her at dlindamo@uwaterloo.ca