UNSW Global Water Institute

Planting Water at the National PermaYouth Camp 2024 Our staff and students are rolling up their sleeves and working alongside 700 young people from across the country at the National PermaYouth Camp 2024 in Timor-Leste! Under the theme “Planting Water Brings Communities to Life,” we’re building key structures to support sustainable water management: 🌱 Water infiltration ponds – replenishing groundwater and revitalising the land. 🌱 Water barriers/weirs – controlling water flow and combating erosion. 🌱 Terraces – transforming sloped land into productive agricultural spaces while stopping soil erosion. The energy on the ground is unstoppable! It’s an incredible opportunity to work alongside PERMATIL, UNTL, DIT and the local community. Check out the photos to see everyone digging and working hard towards tangible results for the communities! 🌍💪 UNSW Global Water Institute UNSW Engineering Philippa Higgins Greg Leslie Alice Harrison Paul Marvin Ananth Amelia Vasiliou Jessica Norman Neel Ketkar Kelsey O’Grady Zoe Walton Emily Mainhi Ego Lemos #PermaYouth2024 #Sustainability #WaterSecurity #YouthInAction #CommunityImpact #Collaboration

Yesterday’s Living Water Oration Series: The David Pilgrim Lecture celebrated the remarkable contributions of Emeritus Professor David Pilgrim, whose pioneering work in hydrology—particularly through Australian Rainfall and Runoff—has significantly influenced flood management practices across Australia and beyond. We extend our gratitude to our keynote speaker, Professor Rory Nathan from the University of Melbourne, as well as our panelists Associate Professor Stefan Felder and Wenhui (Vivian) WU, and our emcee, Associate Professor Fiona Johnson. We were also honored to welcome Devona Pilgrim, David’s wife and lifelong partner in his work. Devona recalls memories of late-night rainstorms spent gathering data, picking up radioactive isotopes from ANSTO, and standing waist-deep in rapidly rising water while holding onto David's equipment. Importantly, David’s seminal work would not have been possible without Devona, who typed six full copies of Australian Rainfall & Runoff. Devona was accompanied to the event by her daughter-in-law, Kathryn Pilgrim, and her friend, Liz. David and Catherine Dibdin also attended as part of Devona’s extended family. The David Pilgrim Lecture is part of a series of talks connected to the exhibition Living Water: 75 Years of Water Research at UNSW. Living Water is a collaboration between UNSW Library and the UNSW Global Water Institute, with funding support from the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Law & Justice, Faculty of Science, and UNSW Library.

Nothing Brings People Together Like Good Food At the National PermaYouth Camp in Timor-Leste, our team is still hard at work, but it’s not all digging and building! 💪🌱 Ego Lemos hosted a regional Master Chef competition, judged by the famous Chef Cesar 👨🍳. Our Australian entry? Mango sticky rice and Jonny cakes with honey! 😋 The challenge? Only clay, rock, bamboo, or banana leaves allowed as cooking tools. 🍃 No modern gadgets here! Each region brought their best, and it’s been amazing to see how food brings everyone together. Check out the creativity and fun from the camp! 🍴👷♀️ #PermaYouthCamp #FoodChallenge #TimorLeste #CommunityBuilding UNSW Global Water Institute | UNSW Engineering | Philippa Higgins | Greg Leslie | Alice Harrison | Paul Marvin Ananth | Amelia Vasiliou | Jessica Norman | Neel Ketkar | Kelsey O’Grady | Zoe Walton | Emily Mainhi | Ego Lemos

🌱 National PermaYouth Camp 2024 🌱 Over 700 young people from across Timor-Leste have come together under the theme "Planting Water Brings Communities to Life" for the National PermaYouth Camp 2024. Organised by PERMATIL, this camp brings together passionate young leaders to engage in sustainable community development, water management, and ecosystem restoration. At the opening ceremony, President Horta underscored the critical importance of water conservation and climate change mitigation, urging participants to take immediate action and calling for practical solutions at the grassroots level. Mr. Ego Lemos, executive director of PERMATIL, has successfully mobilised international support for this vital program, including support from UNSW through UNSW Global Water Institute and UNSW Engineering. Our students are gaining valuable experience in hands-on water management and conservation practices, equipping them with knowledge and skills, and putting this into action. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gFcf5aV6 #PermaYouth #SustainableDevelopment #WaterConservation #ClimateAction #YouthEmpowerment #EcosystemRestoration #TimorLeste #UNSW

🌱 National PermaYouth Camp 2024 🌱 Over 700 young people from across Timor-Leste have come together under the theme "Planting Water Brings Communities to Life" for the National PermaYouth Camp 2024. Organised by PERMATIL, this camp brings together passionate young leaders to engage in sustainable community development, water management, and ecosystem restoration. At the opening ceremony, President Horta underscored the critical importance of water conservation and climate change mitigation, urging participants to take immediate action and calling for practical solutions at the grassroots level. Mr. Ego Lemos, executive director of PERMATIL, has successfully mobilised international support for this vital program, including support from UNSW through UNSW Global Water Institute and UNSW Engineering. Our students are gaining valuable experience in hands-on water management and conservation practices, equipping them with knowledge and skills, and putting this into action. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gFcf5aV6 #PermaYouth #SustainableDevelopment #WaterConservation #ClimateAction #YouthEmpowerment #EcosystemRestoration #TimorLeste #UNSW

🌍 Strengthening Ties with Dili Institute of Technology 🌍 Last week, we were warmly welcomed by the staff and students at Dili Institute of Technology (DIT), who hosted an international seminar during our visit. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Aderita Takeleb dos Santos (Pro-Rector for Academic Affairs) and Marcos Taec Abi, M.A-ELT (Pro-Rector for Planning and External Cooperation) for their warm reception and insightful conversations, which made our time at DIT so valuable. As part of the visit, Philippa Higgins presented on Using satellite data to model water security, while Alice Harrison shared her expertise on Hydrological monitoring and water balance modelling. These seminars highlighted the strength of our partnership, enhancing research and education efforts to address water security challenges in Timor-Leste. We’re excited to keep building on these collaborations with DIT to advance education and research in the region! #DIT #TimorLeste #ResearchCollaboration #WaterSecurity #EngineeringEducation #UNSW

🌍 Strengthening Ties with Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e 🌍 Last week, our institute director, Professor Greg Leslie with staff and students from UNSW Engineering, visited Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL), building on our shared commitment to collaboration in research and education. Special thanks to Justino da Costa Soares (Lecturer, Civil Department), Alfredo Ferreira (Lecturer, Civil Department), Jovita da Costa (Lecturer, Geology and Petroleum), and Domings de Sousa Freitas (Vice Dean for Cooperation and Research Affairs) for the warm welcome and productive discussions. Your support made this visit a great success. During our visit, we also hosted two seminars: 1️⃣ Using satellite data to model water security in Timor-Leste by Philippa Higgins 2️⃣ Hydrological monitoring and water balance modelling by Alice Harrison These sessions demonstrated the important role research plays in addressing water security challenges. We’re excited to continue strengthening these partnerships and working together on future projects! #TimorLeste #UNTL #EngineeringEducation #WaterSecurity #ResearchCollaboration #UNSW

🌍 Exciting news from Dili, Timor-Leste! Our team has officially arrived, ready to embark on an incredible journey of learning and collaboration. A group of 7 talented students from UNSW Faculty of Engineering along with staff members, Philippa Higgins, Alice Harrison and Professor Greg Leslie will be participating in the Perma-Youth Camp organised by Permatil. They will focus on sharing sustainable development practices and gaining hands-on experience with local approaches to agriculture, land, and water restoration. Just last week, our students had the honor of meeting HE President Horta during his visit to UNSW, further strengthening the ties between our institutions. Through the Global Water Institute and our partnerships with local organisations like Permatil, UNSW is actively engaged in water-food-health initiatives in Timor-Leste. We look forward to sharing our experiences and insights from this impactful program! Stay tuned for updates on our journey! 🌱 #UNSW #SustainableDevelopment #TimorLeste #Permatil #GlobalWaterInstitute

🌍 Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the Water@UNSW symposium! It was inspiring to hear from our brightest students and early-career researchers. Congratulations to our outstanding winners: Yoel Jeremy for the Best Presentation, Calvin He for the Best 5-Minute Pitch, and Thais Nunes Guerrero for the People's Choice Award. Fantastic job, everyone! We can’t wait to see you all at our next event! 🗓️ In the meantime, be sure to check out the Living Water exhibition. This event highlights UNSW's significant contributions to water governance and security, promotes healthy oceans and resilient coastlines, ensures safe and equitable access to water, and fosters essential knowledge for protecting this vital resource for the future. The exhibition is open until 15 November 2024. #WaterUNSW #LivingWaterExhibition #Sustainability Naras Rao Rafael Paulino Shamim Aryampa, PhD Genevieve Poblete Yoel Jeremy, B.Sc., M.MarSciMgt. Thais Nunes Guerrero UNSW Water Research Laboratory UNSW Water Research Centre Michael Storey Clare Stephens

🌍 Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the Water@UNSW symposium! It was inspiring to hear from our brightest students and early-career researchers. Congratulations to our outstanding winners: Yoel Jeremy for the Best Presentation, Calvin He for the Best 5-Minute Pitch, and Thais Nunes Guerrero for the People's Choice Award. Fantastic job, everyone! We can’t wait to see you all at our next event! 🗓️ In the meantime, be sure to check out the Living Water exhibition. This event highlights UNSW's significant contributions to water governance and security, promotes healthy oceans and resilient coastlines, ensures safe and equitable access to water, and fosters essential knowledge for protecting this vital resource for the future. The exhibition is open until 15 November 2024. #WaterUNSW #LivingWaterExhibition #Sustainability Naras Rao Rafael Paulino Shamim Aryampa, PhD Genevieve Poblete Yoel Jeremy, B.Sc., M.MarSciMgt. Thais Nunes Guerrero UNSW Water Research Laboratory UNSW Water Research Centre Michael Storey Clare Stephens