When the devastating floods first hit Dili in April 2021, over 11,000 people were displaced from their homes and 45% of Dili’s population were without ongoing or reliable access to clean water. While the need for safe and clean water was immediately addressed through the provision of clean water delivery and temporary filtration systems, it was the significant impacts on infrastructure to key sections of Dili’s water system that required more significant reparation works. EWB was part of a partnership which included Be’e Timor-Leste E.P. (Dili’s newly established water utility), PARTISIPA (the Australian Government’s program supporting the government of Timor Leste in subnational infrastructure and decentralisation) and global engineering firm Cardno/DT Global. The project was led by the Timor-Leste Government, funded by the Australian Government and construction was completed by local contactor RMS. 

Local contractor, RMS, pouring concrete in a pipe encasing in Beemos. During the April 2021 floods, the river channel changed and piping was exposed. To enhance its durability and ensure long-term resilience, the pipe’s alignment was lowered and encased in fibre-reinforced concrete.

Although intended as an emergency response, in reality the project was a full situational analysis leading into infrastructure design and construction, in order to build back better. Two sites were the major focus of this project – one in Mutudare River (a steep and narrow river valley in the foothills adjacent to Dili) and the other in Beemos River (a much larger river with an expansive catchment area, a tributary of Dili’s main river, the Comoro). The Beemos River supplies the most significant source of water for Dili’s entire water system, providing up to 3.5 ML of water daily. With a large catchment area and very fast concentration time as a result of the steep surrounding terrain, the Beemos River saw flood waters up to 6 metres deep during the April 2021 event. The impact of flash flooding this severe was catastrophic to all infrastructure in its path, hence a new approach of burying HDPE pipeline out of harm’s way was adopted for the system repair. Mutudare River also saw extremely high-velocity flooding, which caused catastrophic damage to existing infrastructure. 

Repairs to the Beemos system were made by DWSERP over 900 metres, using 300-mm-diameter HDPE and steel pipelines, as well as the construction of two major scour valve pits (one over 5 metres high), a new pipe bridge, two river crossings and an 80-metre-long concrete-encased gabion pipe protection structure. At Mutudare, 500 metres of 300 mm HDPE and 150 mm steel pipe was installed, all trenched into gravel and bedrock as deep as 3 metres in some places. Also at Mutudare, a new weir, intake tank and protection structure were constructed, as well as four river crossings, a scour valve and rehabilitation of a historic pipe bridge from the era of Portuguese colonisation. Overall, the project sought to benefit approximately 70,000 people who receive supply from these systems and, more broadly, the 221,000 people who reside in the capital of Dili. 

EWB, DT Global and RMS meeting on site to discuss the re-design of the intake weir and intake tank at Mutudare following heavy rain during construction, which destabilised the adjacent embankment. The re-design sped up construction, mitigated safety concerns for workers and reduced the amount of concrete required overall, therefore reducing the emissions footprint of the infrastructure.

The wet season

The intensity of the wet seasons in Timor-Leste played havoc with this project, particularly when pipeline construction was surrounded by steep embankments and in fast-flowing rivers. During the project, two of the three largest rainfall events of the year occurred in the midst of construction on the Mutudare site. This extreme weather destroyed newly constructed trenches and pipework, which increased the duration of the construction phase of the project. During these flood events, the water moves incredibly fast – in the 2021 floods, the torrent moved metres-long slabs of concrete (weighing as much as 5 tonnes) hundreds of metres downstream. Choices in design and materials needed to have long-term sustainability in mind. To address this, pipes were buried, which ensured future-fit infrastructure. Pipework was also encased in concrete where its alignment crossed under the bed from one river bank to the other, to protect it against such powerful flash flooding. In fact, concrete featured heavily throughout the construction due to its strength and durability, but the team was conscious of its contribution to the creation of carbon emissions. As such, it was used only when absolutely necessary. 

Dangers and dilemmas 

The project threw up multiple challenges. Construction necessitated the removal of vegetation and trees which changed the course of some of the smaller creeks and made them vulnerable to further erosion and sediment run-off. Revegetation as part of the project aimed to mitigate these issues. Active landslides were a safety issue, and one of the intake structures was strategically repositioned to counteract future landslides on that site. Unexploded ordnances, including mortars and a landmine dating back to World War II, were discovered on one of the sites and required removal by the local police.

Contractor RMS preparing to lower the alignment of the pipe at crossing 2 at Beemos.

Limitations to accessing specific equipment and materials brought home the kinds of challenges that the Timorese people face every single day. The project required significantly longer lead times – sometimes months instead of weeks – to obtain materials that were unavailable in Timor-Leste. Sourcing materials from Indonesia was at times a faster solution than sourcing them from Australia, and procuring and manufacturing as much as possible within Timor-Leste ensured that some of the elements required were less expensive while providing local employment and skills development. 

One locally available product was heavily used throughout the project – but inadvertently wiped out its supply to an unrelated sector. HDPE pipework expands under pressure, and a PVC foam wrapping allows enough space between the pipe and the concrete encasing to allow for that expansion without causing damage to the structure. A call out to source every PVC foam yoga mat in the country resulted in 200 mats being brought to site for the purpose. It also made for a pretty colourful section of pipework!

The health of the team was also challenged during the project, with several staff suffering from bouts of diarrhoea. This highlighted the effects of poor water quality that are endured by the Timorese people on an all-too-frequent basis. 

Opportunities for local engineers

Feto Enginhera site engineers, Marta and Angelica, with EWB Project Director Richard, onsite at Beemos.

The project was one of the largest and most technically challenging jobs that many of the local project staff had ever worked on. This was particularly so for many of the Timorese female engineers who are still striving to gain meaningful experience in the sector within their own country. Many in the project team leaned into this unique opportunity to provide informal mentoring. For local female engineers like Angelica da Costa, the project has proved a career game-changer, with several now employed in roles with local programs.

Angelica is a Timorese civil engineer and a member of Feto Enginhera who worked as a site supervisor on the project for over 12 months. Angelica has volunteered her time with EWB since 2020 through Feto Enginhera. As a site supervisor, she monitored the project to ensure materials adhered to quality and design standards and assessed the quality of construction. For Angelica, this was a unique opportunity to build her technical skills, allowing her to gain confidence in identifying and assessing materials for their quality and environmental impact. She describes the project as a great experience which gave her the opportunity to work with a supportive team who collaborated to build skills in data collection.

Female engineers in Timor-Leste continue to face gender stereotypes and few opportunities to apply their practical skills. Empowering engineers like Angelica through participation in projects such as DWSERP is an important step in bridging the gender divide that exists in the industry.

More than clean water

Spending time working near the communities that reside along the rivers also afforded moments for the project team to support them where they could. In one instance, excess sand and concrete was offered to a local family, and the construction team helped them form a concrete slab for their new home. It is something this family ordinarily could never afford, and now they have built a sturdy house on top. Locals were also regularly employed as security on the worksites, to keep a watchful eye on the build mid-construction, and as labourers to construct the works and gain construction experience. 

While there were many other positive outcomes as a result of the project, the primary focus was on the provision of clean, safe water – for the long term. Nearing the conclusion of the project, and enroute to the airport, one of our team drove past a young girl and boy who would have been around 12 years old. They were carrying two 10-litre jerry cans – one in each hand – filled with water from an unclean river. It is this scenario that this project seeks to stop.

The post Inside the Dili Water System Emergency Repair program appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

In applying a coordinated approach to addressing its infrastructure needs, Rawa Community School’s leadership team approved an Infrastructure Redevelopment Program in 2018. METIO – a social enterprise that provides project development and project management services to meet community needs – was appointed to undertake a needs assessment and program of works, in consultation with the community. The METIO team has since project-managed a series of improvements to the school infrastructure and grounds, with support from a range of organisations that provided pro bono services and funding for the program.

The initial phase of the redevelopment involved the renovation of a sports court and the school’s main building at its Punmu campus and the building of a new sports court and shade structure at its Kunawarritji campus. This phase was supported by EWB and pro bono partner Arup for the engineering design needs.

Following those works, the next phase focused on the provision of water and sanitation facilities, and outdoor learning spaces at the Punmu campus. Two aged and abandoned buildings were demolished to make way for new infrastructure – part of the master plan that has been co-designed by METIO, EWB, EIW architects, Four Landscape Studio and the school community. All of these organisations provided this design work pro bono. These works included relocation and improvements to the existing transportable toilets; provision for new drinking water fountains, fences and gates; as well as providing a shaded outdoor learning space for the students and families. 

Progress and diversion

EWB partners Epiroc and Atlas Copco provided financial and volunteering support for this phase as part of their “Water for All” program, founded on the premise that “clean water is a human right”. A key component is the building of landscaped outdoor classrooms, called “learning bubbles”, which are essential to the unique learning environment at the school. Attendance, engagement and learning outcomes have been significantly enhanced when the children can spend time outdoors On Country. To date this has been weather dependent, and with average maximum temperatures regularly above 40°C, conditions are often too hot without adequate shading. A sustainable school garden with local species and bush food has also been scaped, which will aim to improve health, community and learning outcomes, with some of the Epiroc team travelling to Punmu to help with the construction work. The new facilities were officially opened in November 2022.

Pro bono partners have been vital to this project. Their support ensures that a project can actually happen. But they also unlock other projects that are underfunded.

“For the RAWA project, the pro bono support has meant we can divert the funds earmarked for part of the work that’s now being supported with pro bono, to another part of the project that needs to be funded. It fills a critical gap that often can’t be filled by other funding sources,” says Humberto Marum, Principal, METIO.

EWB’s pro bono program develops partnerships to channel engineering skills into projects that are needed in the communities with whom we work – in remote First Nations communities, as well as in Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu. For more information contact partnerships@ewb.org.au.

The post Engineering partnerships critical for progress: the case at Rawa appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

A year after the floods that devastated communities in the Northern Rivers region, Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) and local community partner Holding Hands Under Ground (HHUG) have been coordinating volunteers to respond to community needs. In doing so, EWB has been piloting a recovery response model that can be mobilised across other regions during future climate disasters, to support low-income and marginalised communities.

The Northern Rivers Flood Recovery Engineering Support project has been addressing the problem of extensive infrastructure (including private roads, causeways and land) damage and delays in remediation caused by river flooding and landslides in Australia. HHUG has been coordinating operations on the ground, with a highly passionate and skilled team of volunteers who connect with dozens of other community and stakeholder groups, and hundreds of volunteers to service thousands of people across a broad range of community members impacted by the floods. EWB is leading the engineering response, engaging individual engineer professionals as well as employees from pro bono engineering firms Arup and Douglas Partners, who are each volunteering their expertise to provide engineering planning services, including geotechnical and structural assessments to affected communities.

The project objectives

• Assist flood-affected communities with access to engineering services to support their individual recovery needs: The core focus of the project – to provide technical support and expertise to help communities expedite the process of repairing and restoring infrastructure and land that has been damaged by floods.
• Prioritise community-led recovery and meeting the needs of vulnerable community members: working alongside community organisation HHUG which recognises the value of community-led recovery and the importance of connecting with community members to understand and address their needs.
• Develop and deliver options reports for each affected community: For community members that submit support requests, engineers conduct site visits, preliminary scoping, and assessments (including geotechnical and structural assessments) to develop options reports for each affected community member. The options reports support communities to make informed decisions about how to repair and restore their infrastructure.

The work done thus far

EWB’s engineering volunteers have spent the past six months conducting site visits, scope management plans and options reports for community members that submitted support requests. We are still continuing this work. These reports provide detailed information about the condition of the affected infrastructure, potential repair and restoration options, and estimated costs. For some affected residents, the provision of these reports will allow them to provide evidence to their local councils, so they are legally able to return home. For others, these reports will provide them the information they need to support their decision-making and empower them to take their best next steps for their recovery. Technical support is also provided to the communities and community members are engaged to ensure that the project is meeting their needs. This project is essential in expediting the repair and restoration process, and to reduce the prolonged delays that communities are currently experiencing – improving the lives of residents, increasing economic stability, and improving public safety.

Sam inspects a house in Lismore that is cracking around the window frames after surviving 500mm of water above the second floor.

The impact

As of March 2023, EWB and HHUG has delivered the following:

• Over 100 requests for assistance answered
• 30+ volunteer engineers deployed or undergoing pre-deployment training
• All initial inspections completed with 47 sites pending detailed site inspections, including additional testing.
• Over 220 beneficiaries to be expected from actions on 41 currently completed Options reports
• Estimated provision of over $320,000 worth of engineering expertise thus far, at no charge

Having EWB on the ground has not only been key in delivering the engineering support that is needed.  “It has also been good for community morale,” reflected HHUG Co-Directors, Ella Rose Goninan and Luke Jaaniste. “This extended to residents who didn’t require support from EWB. Community members have felt that EWB’s presence has added a ‘glow to a difficult time’. We sometimes don’t recognise the ripple effect of good feeling that’s generated by simply being present. There is huge appreciation that HHUG are connecting and coordinating with EWB to provide support. Through our work together, we are connecting to stories of care and inspiring caring communities.”  Community support has also extended to local hosts who have been generous in providing accommodation to some of our volunteers.

The result of severe flooding to house footings.

What’s next

EWB is completing the next stage of works which focuses on geotechnical engineering that requires additional equipment onsite. In the coming months, a full evaluation of the project will also be conducted so that EWB can assess outcomes that will feed into a wholly realised, evidence-led model – ready to be actioned when such disasters occur in the future and require speedy deployment of specialised engineering support.

With gratitude

As a volunteer-led response, EWB wished to thank the following people who have volunteered their time and applied their deep expertise so that low-income and marginalised communities have been able to receive the support they need: Dominic Cavanough (Engineering Project Lead), Sam Burton, Tim Kelly, Mike Punch, Chris Tanner, Gavin Blakely, Bea Duffield, Tim Anderson, Andrew Middleton, Shannon Davies, Tim Mote, Daniel De Cataldo, Dennis Gunaseelan, Maria Juliana Ñungo Casallas, Andrés Alberto Sebastián Riffo and the following Engineering Admin Support volunteers: Tuan Dung (Ivan) Pham, Hamideh Talebi, Kara Trimpin, Ayden Cleghorn and a huge thank you to our community hosts, Rosslyn Jane Meltzer, Suzanne Craig and Louise Gordon for billeting our deployed volunteers and many others who are currently supporting this project behind the scenes. Thank you!

What you can do

We are seeking volunteers to liaise with community members as Stakeholder Engagement Officers to support residents with any enquiries relating to their final reports as well as gather community feedback to ensure communities are receiving appropriate and relevant support from EWB. If you would be interested in supporting this project as a Stakeholder Engagement Officer, please contact EWB Project Lead, Farhiyo Bear, f.bear@ewb.org.au.

Our next stage involves geotechnical testing of sites for community members. With the support of Douglas Partners, our Pro bono Partner, we hope to provide communities access to geotechnical expertise valued at over $60k. We have the team, however we need your support to fund up to $10k so that we can hire an excavator and insured operator to support onsite testing for these communities.  If you’d like to donate, please donate here – your donation will directly impact and support the recovery of flood affected community members in Northern Rivers.

The post Northern Rivers floods engineering response paves way for future emergency support appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

The centrepiece of the partnership is the EWB Innovation Challenge – an annual STEM outreach event that brings together high-school students and emerging engineers, to explore and showcase the opportunities possible in STEM careers and how engineering skills can contribute to positive community outcomes.

The outreach initiative was initiated in Victoria by the EWB Australia University of Melbourne Chapter and engages Year 9 and 10 students, primarily from backgrounds under-represented in STEM, in a series of hands-on socio-technical design challenges.

“We know how much of an impact this type of engagement can have on students, especially those who will soon be making decisions about their future vocation,” said Eleanor Loudon, EWB Australia CEO.

“Ongoing commitments are crucial to unlocking these opportunities for young people and scaling the program’s impact. We’re grateful to have Bentley Systems’ continued support, which will enable the Innovation Challenge to continue to inspire future engineers who work towards creating a sustainable, equitable world,” Eleanor added.

For more than 37 years Bentley Systems, an infrastructure engineering software company, has provided innovative applications to engineers and other professionals responsible for designing, constructing and operating sustainable infrastructure that is essential to the quality of life for everyone, everywhere. Bentley’s partnership with EWB Australia truly aligns with Bentley Education’s core values to help students from all backgrounds rise to the challenges of becoming a world-class talent to improve quality of life and support infrastructure growth and resilience worldwide. 

Katriona Lord-Levins, Chief Success Officer, Bentley Systems, said, “Our partnership with EWB Australia plays a very significant role, as together we empower students to create systematic change in society and give everyone access to engineering knowledge. Initiatives like the Innovation Challenge spark curiosity in young minds and encourage them to explore STEM subjects. It is very important to tackle misconceptions of engineering, and help them understand what real engineering is and what conscious engineers can do.” 

The 2022 Innovation Challenge will be the second delivered with Bentley Systems’ support. The new partnership will see the initiative reach more young people in the coming years, with the Innovation Challenge expanding into other Australian states in 2023 and 2024.

About the Innovation Challenge

The Innovation Challenge brings together Year 9 and 10 students for learning and collaboration through a series of design challenges, so that program participants leave with a broader perspective of engineering career paths and the humanitarian nature of the profession.

Participants are drawn from schools across the state with a focus on cohorts that are under-represented in the engineering sector; schools in regional and lower socio-economic areas, girls and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

In teams, students engage with a multifaceted engineering challenge which tests their ingenuity and provides a platform for exploring the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of engineering. Throughout the program students are given guidance and support from EWB-affiliated university engineering students, who act as socio-technical design mentors.

Having been delivered virtually due to pandemic restrictions in 2021, the 2022 years event will be hosted at the University of Melbourne campus. The event also provides opportunities for students to learn more about what a future in engineering could look like for them, with guest presentations and a panel discussion with industry professionals.

About Bentley Systems (Nasdaq: BSY): Bentley is an infrastructure engineering software company that provides innovative software to advance the world’s infrastructure – sustaining both the global economy and environment. Bentley’s  industry-leading software solutions are used by professionals, and organisations of every size, for the design, construction, and operations of roads and bridges, rail and transit, water and wastewater, public works and utilities, buildings and campuses, mining, and industrial facilities. These offerings include MicroStation-based applications for modeling and simulation, ProjectWise for project delivery, AssetWise for asset and network performance, Seequent’s leading geoprofessional software portfolio, and the iTwin platform for infrastructure digital twins. Bentley Systems employs more than 4,500 colleagues and generates annual revenues of approximately $1 billion in 186 countries. www.bentley.com

About EWB: Engineers Without Borders Australia was established in 2003 to create social value through engineering. EWB inspires a movement of engineers and the engineering community to be Technology Stewards and mobilises engineering to develop equitable, scalable and sustainable technology for all.  www.ewb.org.au

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EWB’s engineering skills and in-country presence in Timor-Leste has been utilised to support an important nation-building project.

Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport is the main gateway to Timor-Leste. The airport plays a central role in the economic prosperity of Timor-Leste and its people, and the airport’s arrival capacity is seen as a key enabler to support greater prosperity for this developing country. EWB was appointed to be a part of the Dili Airport Redevelopment Feasibility Study – a major project led by Palladium, with funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) and the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility (AIFFC). The project supports the Timor-Leste 2011–2030 Strategic Development Plan, which prioritises infrastructure development to bolster economic growth and reduce inequality. 

Located on the outskirts of the capital, Dili, the airport is positioned between the Ombai Strait to its north and west, and the Comoro River to its east – the main and largest of Dili’s four major rivers. With water masses on both ends of its runway, as well as a village community residing at the Comoro River end, the location creates a unique challenge to one of the key infrastructure works required – an extension to the runway. Currently, planes arriving cannot carry their full capacity of passengers or cargo as the current length and breadth of the runway restricts aircraft weight loadings. This means that getting in and out of the country by air can be very expensive. 

EWB was appointed by Palladium as the field-lead role for the geotechnical investigation and topographic surveying of the airport site. EWB played a slightly different role compared to the projects that form the majority of EWB’s engineering work – that of subcontractor to a major project. EWB was appointed due to our local presence and personnel, our understanding of the Timorese engineering environment and our knowledge of the key stakeholders in the project.

EWB’s local team based in Timor-Leste was further bolstered by Gavin Blakey, who led EWB’s role in the project from April to June 2022. Being on site most days at the airport, Gavin saw first-hand the critical role the airport plays in the life and economic advancement of the Timorese people. “I would drive out there and there would be hundreds of people milling around the airport – sometimes whole villages would turn out to send people off or be there to welcome them back. The people leaving and arriving were travelling to and from work overseas and were sometimes the only person supporting that family. It’s just one example of how this project will make a difference to these communities,” said Gavin. 

Many Timorese are part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility program, which brings Timor-Leste workers as well as others in the Pacific region to Australia to fill roles in regional and rural Australia. The program is not only valuable to Australian employers in order to address skill shortages – it is also a valuable income stream for Timorese people as they send money back to their families. The airport also enables Timorese students to travel as part of tertiary study scholarships. Improvements to the airport will also be critical to nurture Timor-Leste’s developing tourism sector, considered a key economic opportunity.

The EWB team worked with over 40 local technical specialists and contractors, and supervised the geotechnical investigation via the drilling of boreholes and hand-excavated pits across the airport to assess geological conditions. EWB also oversaw the topographical surveys that mapped the geography and location of existing buildings. One striking difference that Gavin noted in these teams was the number of women in technical roles. RMS Engineering and Construction, an Australian company that has had a presence in Timor-Leste for the past two decades, was supporting the project and had 20 women working with them. “Many of them were engineers and a couple were surveyors,” noted Gavin, “you wouldn’t see that in Australia! It was so wonderful to see and be working alongside such a diverse crew.”

EWB’s investigations have been fed into reports and will support the insights for the next phase of the project. 

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A soon-to-be-published PhD thesis takes learnings from EWB’s Sanitation in Challenging Environment program to investigate the interlocking and compounding complexities that create inequalities in water and sanitation access for communities in challenging contexts. 

Impact-led research for sector-wide learning

EWB’s research approach aims to deliver a meaningful contribution to the evidence base which will improve our work and the work of our sector. It is deeply collaborative, identifying and leveraging the different strengths of each group involved. Research outputs inform technology design, professional practice and policy development. Internally, we use research to measure our impact, inform strategic organisational decisions, deliver on community aspirations and ensure our programs are leading practice. Externally, we position our research to be utilised as a tool for influence, sector-wide learning and to drive positive change in the engineering sector. We conduct this impact-led research alongside our university partners. RMIT University is one such partner, currently supporting PhD candidate Leandra Rhodes-Dicker on a complex yet compelling topic.

From retrenchment to research

PhD candidate Leandra Rhodes-Dicker

Listening to her gut and healthy doses of bad luck and serendipity have seemingly been a constant in the career path of Leandra Rhodes-Dicker. As a Chemical Engineering graduate from the University of Calgary, Leandra was all set to kick-start her career in Canada’s oil and gas sector, until the industry fell over, and she was laid off before she even started. Instead, she started a Masters in Environmental Engineering at the University of Toronto, with a focus on water contamination. At the end of this coursework, her peers were heading into consulting gigs. But this didn’t feel right for Leandra. “Someone suggested that I contact EWB Canada who had a fellowship program. I was successful and brought on to work with Sanergy – a Kenyan-based organisation which develops solutions to systemic gaps in sanitation and waste management – to work on a project through EWB Canada. I literally tested poo from pit latrines in the informal settlements in Nairobi for a year – and loved it!” says Leandra. The year-long in-country project was cut short by COVID-19, and Leandra was given 24 hours notice to head back to Canada where she finished the work remotely. 

Back home, it was a challenging time to be looking for work. “No one was hiring,” says Leandra, “but I got really lucky to find this PhD position in Australia that I thought was perfect for me and my background, and that I would be perfect for.” A project in partnership with RMIT University and EWB Australia, the brief was to research opportunities for water, sanitation and hygiene (known as WASH) in challenging environments, specifically in relation to EWB’s Sanitation in Challenging Environments program in Cambodia. Leandra’s application was successful, and she spent 15 months working on the assignment in Canada before moving to Australia in 2022.

EWB’s ‘fascinating’ Sanitation in Challenging Environments program

After starting, Leandra narrowed the PhD focus to investigate the interlocking and compounding complexities that create inequalities in water and sanitation access for communities in challenging contexts. 

By challenging contexts, Leandra means settings such as informal settlements, refugee camps, or flood-affected communities which are impacted by persistent inequitable access to WASH. Ensuring appropriate WASH services in challenging contexts demands that practitioners have an understanding of contextual complexities. ‘Complexities’ refer to any factor that influences access to WASH and most, if not all, intersect to create compounded inequalities for entire communities or specific demographics. 

A pit latrine emptying truck in Nairobi.

The research was focused on EWB’s Sanitation in Challenging Environments (SCE) program in Cambodia – a program that commenced in 2004. Leandra had already experienced the complexities and challenges first-hand with her work in Nairobi, but found that many of the same issues exist in Cambodia. She interviewed people who have been a part of EWB’s SCE program – many of them former volunteer field professionals – and was in awe of the incredible history of the program. “It’s wild!” says Leandra. “The program wasn’t formalised until 2015, but the history leading up to it – and after – is fascinating! There have been funding crises and global pandemics, as well as small, key moments like chats around a dinner table that led to a huge evolution in the program. EWB really made maintaining relationships with partners and volunteers a priority, and so many small steps evolved it into a full program run completely by a localised team. It’s interesting to consider how the program might have been managed through COVID-19 without that team in place. These key lessons – of being willing to adapt, to pivot – are things that are not always obvious when trying to build a WASH program, and it’s been so interesting to dive into over a decade of history to bring those lessons out.”

The PhD focus

Often, WASH practitioners try to simplify the complexity of challenging contexts, especially when it starts to affect an organisations’ ability to prioritise elements like inclusion. The problem is that simplified approaches frequently overlook important complexities and their interconnections which can result in WASH services that are not affordable, inclusive, or sustainable for communities. Leandra aims to create a transformational approach for practitioners to help them unpack intersecting complexities and ensure WASH programs are effective for those communities most left behind.

Underpinned by intersectionality as a research approach, Leandra’s study is exploring WASH practitioners’ perceptions of complexity in challenging contexts. This led to the intersecting complexities approach, which was developed and verified through a desk-based review, interviews, workshops and focus groups. The approach encourages practitioners to embrace complexity in WASH programs, prompting them to explore contextual complexity across multiple dimensions (e.g. environmental, political, social, temporal), consider the interconnections between complexities, and unpack the implications for various stages and scales of a WASH program.  

The objective of the intersecting complexities approach is to transform conventional thinking in WASH programs and ensure that complexity is maintained and valued in decision-making processes. Leandra and her supervisors believe that the approach can help practitioners unpack compounded inequalities in challenging contexts, ultimately guiding them to ensure more effective programs and services. They aim to share this approach with the wider sector so that we may collaboratively tackle persistent inequalities in access to WASH.

Alongside her PhD, Leandra has been supporting the development of an approach to embed inclusion into university engineering courses, assisting as a tutor in RMIT’s delivery of the EWB Challenge and in supervising final-year undergraduate engineering projects. 

Leandra has been supported at RMIT by PhD supervisors Dr Nick Brown (Senior Lecturer in Humanitarian Engineering) and Professor Matthew Currell alongside George Goddard, EWB’s University Impact Manager and Gaetano Romano, EWB’s Senior Engineering Manager. Other EWB staff across engineering, technology development, monitoring and evaluation, and our local team in Cambodia have also been key relationships for the research as well as two-way knowledge sharing. The EWB team is excited to apply the PhD findings across a number of different platforms of EWB’s work. Leandra hopes that the intersecting complexities approach developed throughout her research can  support programs and increase impact at EWB, and beyond.  

This research is currently undergoing validation through collaboration with Engineers Without Borders Australia and the Sanitation in Challenging Environments program in Cambodia to confirm practical application. Final reviews are set to be completed by October 2023. The first published paper can be found here. 

The post The PhD unpacking intersecting complexities in WASH appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Firstly, we must thank two amazing contributors to EWB who are retiring from the board:

Gavin Blakey OAM has served for some eight years on EWB’s Board and has been Chair since 2016. Gavin has made an extraordinary contribution to EWB over this time, and has more recently taken a leave of absence, during which time he has been applying his engineering expertise to some of our projects on-the-ground. We thank Gavin for his incredible commitment to EWB – both on the board, and ongoing!

Peter McArdle has also been a board member for almost five years and has been a critical contributor in guiding EWB’s involvement in humanitarian response work as well as being a core part of EWB’s Reconciliation Working Group. Whilst retiring from the board, Peter will still remain close in supporting EWB – thank you Pete!

Secondly, we welcome two new members to the EWB board:

Rebecca Watts: Rebecca is no stranger to EWB and has been involved with EWB for over a decade. While at university, Rebecca participated in School Outreach, Design Summits in Cambodia and
completed her engineering thesis on rural electrification through appropriate technology with EWB. Rebecca began her career with a year-long field placement with EWB as Project Facilitator in Cambodia, which stemmed from her thesis and saw dozens of solar home systems installed in rural households, providing access to electricity. More recently, Rebecca was awarded the MECCA M-Power scholarship which aimed to increase the representation of women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in STEM. The project included a series of school outreach workshops in the Torres Strait, cross-cultural awareness training and the creation of an animation video which detailed the experience of a woman in a world that wasn’t designed for her. Rebecca’s corporate career has focussed on investment and business transactions across venture capital and
investment banking. From this, Rebecca has expertise in financial resourcing and cash flow management as well as business models and scaling up operations. Rebecca’s previous committee experience includes the Vice Curator WEF Global Shapers and committee member of Young Engineers Australia. Rebecca aims to contribute to the board by combining her long-term knowledge of EWB’s programs and philosophy with financial literacy and governance, while also bringing a sustainability mindset.

Abhishek Singh: Abhishek brings over 25 years’ experience of leading technology-enabled transformation programs in asset-intensive organisations operating is a highly regulated and safety critical environment. Abhishek has a track record of building organisational capability, realigning management of assets to service delivery outcomes, leading initiatives to transform the business, and enhancing people, process, and technology capabilities. Abhishek has made practical the concepts of digital transformation for organisations where it matters most, reinventing the way they delivery services and the impact they have on the planet. He is also a strong advocate of inclusion and diversity and has contributed immensely to shaping the culture of the organisations he has worked for. Abhishek has an Executive MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management (UNSW) and a Master of Technology from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT, Delhi). He is also the Vice-Chair of Engineers Australia’s College of Leadership and Management committee (Qld).

The post EWB Board Update appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Chrissia, Civil Engineer

Volunteering with the EWB Australia Timor-Leste team

Q: Why did you become an Engineer?

A: During secondary school, I loved calculus and physics because I loved calculating, and when I finished school, I continued my university study and decided to study civil engineering. I want to have a variety of professions within my family, because my parents are working in the health profession, so I want to challenge myself to study in another area. This motivated me to become an engineer. After I got to know more about engineering during my university study, it was more motivating for me to become an engineer to continue to contribute to developing my beloved country Timor-Leste through the civil engineering profession.

Durante eskola sekundária, ha’u gosta matemátika no fízika tanba ha’u gosta halo kalkulasaun, no bainhira ha’u ramata eskola, ha’u kontinua estuda iha universidade no deside atu estuda iha area enjeñaria sivíl. Liután nee, ha’u hakarak iha profisaun oioin iha ha’u-nia família laran, tanba ha’u-nia inan-aman serbisu iha profisaun saúde nian, entaun ha’u hakarak dezafia ha’u-nia an atu estuda iha área seluk. Bainhira ha’u aprende liután kona-ba enjeñaria durante ha’u-nia estudu iha universidade, motiva liu tan ha’u atu sai enjeñaria ida hodi kontinua kontribui ba dezenvolvimentu ha’u-nia nasaun doben Timor-Leste liu husi profisaun enjeñaria sivíl.

Q: What was your motivation to volunteer with EWB?

A: I wanted to build my engineering knowledge and skills to contribute to my professional career as a civil engineer. Many engineering graduates have volunteered with EWB and through this they have been able to really develop their professional career. In my country Timor-Leste, the main criteria with many engineering vacancies is to have a lot of work experience. With minimum working experience it was difficult to compete for these vacancies. Through this volunteering with EWB, it has been very helpful to increase my work experience for these future job opportunities.

Ha’u nia motivasaun hodi hili voluntáriu iha EWB mak atu bele promove ha’u nia abilidade enjeñaria hodi bele kontribui ba ha’u nia karreira professional, tanba graduadu enjeñeiru barak mak voluntáriu ona iha EWB no liu husi voluntáriu iha EWB bele kontribui duni ona hodi dezenvolve sira nia karreira professional. Iha ha’u nia nasaun Timor-Leste, vaga barak mak loke iha kritériu tenke iha esperiénsia servisu ne’ebé barak, entaun ho ha’u ne’ebé iha esperiénsia servisu mínimu tebes, difikulta atu ha’u atu bele konkorre ba vaga servisu sira nee, entaun liu husi voluntáriu ida nee bele ajuda tebes ha’u atu aumenta tan ha’u nia esperiénsia servisu nian hodi bele kompete ba vaga servisu iha futuru mai.

Q: Is there a moment or experience with EWB that changed your vision or understanding of what engineering could/should be? 

A: My volunteer activity with EWB has thoroughly developed my consciousness and  mindset that as an engineer. I cannot only take into account my skills in my technical area, but I must also develop my skills in areas such as communication and collaboration skills. In my work as a civil engineer, I cannot work alone, I work with many people, so I need to communicate and collaborate well with other teams so that in working together, we can develop effective and sustainable engineering ideas and solutions to be implemented in the community.

Iha ha’u nia atividade voluntáriu, ha’u konsente tebes katak nu’udar enjeñeira ha’u la bele haree los de’it ba ha’u nia abilidade iha area tékniku hodi promove maibé ha’u mós tenke promove ha’u nia abilidade, liu-liu iha abilidade sira hanesan komunikasaun no kolaborasaun iha servisu ekipa, no seluk tan tanba iha ha’u nia servisu nu’udar enjeñaria civil, ha’u labele servisu mesak maibé ha’u tenke servisu ho ema barak, entaun ha’u presiza komunika no kolabora diak ho ekipa sira seluk, hodi bele hamutuk dezenvolve idea/ solusaun enjeñaria ne’ebé própriu, efetivu no sustentavel hodi bele implementa iha treinu.  

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your current or most recent role with EWB?

A: The most rewarding part of my most recent roles with EWB is supporting the team in water filter project research, such as data collection on water filter use and treatment, evaluating health outcomes, and supporting the large-scale ceramic filter project planning, design, prototyping, and testing.

Parte ida-ne’ebé fó kontente liu mai ha’u-nia knaar foin daudaun ne’e ho EWB mak konaba apoia ekipa iha peskiza projetu filtra bee nian, hanesan iha kolesaun dadus kona-ba uzu no tratamentu ba filtra bee, halo avaliasaun ba rezultadu saúde husi filtra bee ne’e rasik, nomos suporta iha projetu filtra-bee ho eskala boot, liu husi halo planu, dezeñu, protótipu, no teste.

The post Volunteering for skills and to contribute to ‘my beloved country’ appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

The water problem

Would you drink water that looks like this? It’s what came out of the tap in a remote Indigenous community that EWB visited in Far North Queensland in November 2022.

Such water sources may contain harmful chemicals, metals and pathogens.It is estimated that at least 250,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are unable to reliably access safe and healthy water on their remote homelands, and as such experience chronic and hygiene-related diseases at higher rates than other Australians. Water contamination is considered a key cause. Children in particular have unacceptably high rates of common health issues, such as middle-ear infections, skin and respiratory issues, and gastroenteritis. These infections have serious impacts, including permanent hearing loss and heart disease. This can affect education outcomes and opportunities. It also leads to chronic diseases in adulthood, contributing to the 17-year gap in life expectancy between First Nations people and other Australians. The remoteness of these communities makes routine water testing and infrastructure development challenging. Lack of funding is also another key factor – remote community water supply usually does not fall under public water service provision.

There are over 1,100 remote Indigenous communities in Australia. Many of the remote and very remote communities lack access to safe, clean water.

Building trust and two-way knowledge sharing

Communities are at the centre of EWB’s approach and the EWB EoC Water Program is no different. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities are best placed to identify their needs and key priorities to improve access to  essential services, health, wellbeing and opportunities. EWB works with communities to design and provide access to appropriate and sustainable community infrastructure and technology that improves their quality of life and their ability to pursue education, employment or income generating opportunities. Facilitating two-way knowledge sharing and developing respectful relationships are essential to design the right solutions. Key to this is building trust, nurturing relationships and working together in partnership so that First Nations people can live on, and care for, Country.

Community-owned water management for long-term supply

For over fifteen years, water and sanitation have been a focus at EWB – in Australia and overseas. EWB’s EoC Water Program builds on this work and aims to co-design fit-for-purpose, fit-for-place water supply systems. This new program includes designing water supply and treatment facilities together that build on local Indigenous water knowledge of the area. It also includes understanding the potential hazards and risks to the water supply that may exist and co-developing management and governance plans for water systems to manage these risks.  

The risk to a water supply is the greatest when there is no regular monitoring and maintenance activities. Simple monitoring activities and plans are developed with the community members for when maintenance, repairs and replacements of equipment may be needed. Water testing kits providing accuracy levels for key components – similar to that achieved within an accredited laboratory – are being provided, and community members are  supported to routinely verify the water health and safety.  

Through designing these projects directly with elders, rangers and other community members, communities have ownership of the project and the benefits to their community.This ownership leads to community-managed water supply protection, testing, treatment, maintenance and operation.

The community water management plans are the beginning of a regular monitoring and maintenance regime that will continually improve the water supplies in each of the participating communities. EWB’s EoC Water Program is currently focused on working with communities in remote locations in Queensland and Western Australia. The program has commenced with water safety planning, infrastructure and testing in two communities located in Far North Queensland, alongside community partner, the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CfAT).

With your support we can continue to co-design and install the water system upgrades, review community water planners and operational and maintenance procedures and provide training to communities and with implementing the water testing program to routinely verify water health and safety in remote community water supplies. Please give to EWB’s end of year appeal 2022.

The EOC Water Program is generously supported by Bindy & David Koadlow, with grant funding from the Australian Government for the Port Stewart Water Supply Infrastructure project.

The post Clean, safe water needed for remote Indigenous communities appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Each year, voting members are invited to nominate and elect individuals to the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Australia Board of Directors (“The Board”). This is an important opportunity to have your say and elect individuals who can make a valuable contribution in shaping the direction of our organisation.

The post Help shape EWB – nominate for the EWB Australia Board appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.