Humanitarian Responses to Emerging Water Crises as a Result of Extreme Climatic Events

Jessica Vandenberghe

Jessica P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) is born of the Dene Thá First Nation, is a sixties scoop survivor and raised in an inclusive German farming family in northern Alberta. Her exceptional career is based on two engineering degrees from the University of Alberta. She has worked in the oil sands, mining, regulatory, infrastructure, consulting industries and academia. She is the Assistant Dean, Community and Culture with the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Victoria. She is a mother of two and at the intersection of two equity deserving groups in the Engineering Profession, which drives her passion for equity, diversity and inclusion. Her lived experience allows her to contribute significantly to Truth and Reconciliation to build strong, healthy relationships with Indigenous Communities and to build safe, brave places where we can be our authentic selves. Her approach, knowledge, and expertise brings value in terms of healing, instilling ethical behaviour, introducing two-eyed seeing and integration of Indigenous ways, inclusive leadership practice, and setting organizations and institutions on a strategic path to ensure community is built.

Swanzeta “Swani” Keelson

Swani is a first-year doctoral student at the Johns Hopkins University Advanced International Studies – International Affairs Program under Professor Dr. Erwin Villiger. Swani’s doctoral research examines the relationship between water insecurity, global governance, and gender inclusivity.  Swani holds a Master’s in International Public Policy and a Master’s in Legal studies both from Johns Hopkins University. She is the founder of Global Water Promise—A US based international nonprofit working in development countries to bring water security, sanitation and hygiene to help end period poverty in vulnerable populations. Her research is supported by the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. She can be contacted at: info@globalwtaerpromise.org.

Nicolas Jarraud

Nicolas is Senior Specialist, Engagement and Partnerships Development, at the Global Water Partnership (GWP). He was Assistant Vice President for Institute Affairs at the Cyprus Institute (CyI), an international research institute based in Cyprus, until 2022, where he was responsible for International Relations (and before that for solar energy projects). Dr. Jarraud has almost 15 years of environmental peacebuilding programme management experience (including over 10 years at the United Nations peacebuilding programme in Cyprus, UNDP-ACT) as well as a career in environmental research and the social sciences. He was involved in the creation of SeeD (The Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development), and SDSN Cyprus. He has a PhD in environmental science from Imperial College, London, as well as a Masters in Science Communication and a BSc in Biology from the same university. Nicolas has also had experience as a freelance journalist, for example contributing to the French news magazine “Le Point”.

Syed Imran Ali

Syed Imran is an experienced aid worker and engineering researcher who seeks ways to improve public health engineering in humanitarian response. He has worked as a water and sanitation specialist and led operational research with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors Without Borders) and UNHCR (the UN High Commissioner for Refugees) in South Sudan, Pakistan, Jordan, Rwanda, Uganda, and elsewhere. Dr. Ali has taught at the University of California-Berkeley, where he completed a postdoctoral fellowship, and holds a PhD in environmental engineering from the University of Guelph. Dr. Ali is a Fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research and Adjunct Professor in the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University. Dr. Ali is Founder and Lead of the Safe Water Optimization Tool Project (https://www.safeh2o.app/), a water quality data analytics platform that helps ensure drinking water safety during humanitarian emergencies.