Another award for a CRCWSC PhD alumni

CRCWSC PhD alumni, Dr Paul Satur, has won the AWA 2019 Victorian Young Water Professional of the Year award.

Paul was awarded the honour for his substantial contribution to the Australian water sector as an early career environmental and social science researcher, reflecting his research with the CRCWSC and now his work at the Monash Sustainable Development Institute and his role as Co-Founder of the Our Future Cities organisation.

Paul’s passion and focus are developing the knowledge, tools and influence to foster a socially inclusive and vibrant sustainable water future for everyone.

Paul completed his PhD with the CRCWSC on Project A2.1 – Understanding societal processes to achieve water sensitive cities. His key research finding was that ‘social inequality has a profound impact on domestic water use practices, and those practices shape the experiences, needs and capacities of residents. In other words, our economic, material, social and cultural resources affect the liveability, sustainability and resilience that we can achieve through our water use’.

Paul points out, ‘These considerations are key for the water resource management sector when developing and delivering programs for community capacity building, engagement and co-governance. They should also apply to the development of policy and management regimes for water sensitive transitions.’

Of his work with the Our Future Cities program, Paul says, ‘We want this program to build capacities and promote opportunities for diverse voices to help shape the future sustainability, liveability and resilience outcomes of our cities’.

The AWA says Paul is a worthy recipient of the 2019 Victorian Young Water Professional of the Year award. The Victorian Water Awards recognise the contribution of the AWA’s members for their inspiring leadership and innovative research, programs and infrastructure projects.

Paul and the other Victorian Water Award winners will now represent the state in the national Australian Water Awards, which will be presented at the Association’s annual water conference and exhibition, Ozwater’20 in Adelaide on 5–7 May 2020.

If you’re interested in joining the Our Future Cities community of practice, or just finding out more, visit www.ourfuturecities.org.