Community connection a priority for young water leaders

It was great to be a Resource Guest at the Water Innovation Lab (WIL), held in Melbourne last week. The WIL is a week-long intensive leadership programfor young water professionals from around the world.

I joined the WIL for an afternoon, and had the privilege of evaluating project pitches, which the participants had been preparing together during the program.

A common theme among the projects was a desire to increase community connection to water and involvement in water planning and management. In discussions I had with participants afterwards, many were interested to hear about some of the approaches being used in Victoria, such as the work Melbourne Water is doing for refreshing the Healthy Waterways Strategy and Imagine the Yarra for the Yarra Strategic Plan.

It was exciting to see such a passionate group of emerging water leaders, and I look forward to seeing how their projects and careers develop!