Water Justice Day
Water Justice Day, hosted by the Water Justice Hub and the Just Water Alliance, is a world first and a special global event dedicated to exploring and responding to critical water justice issues. By gathering leaders, researchers, advocates, decision makers and community members from around the world, the event supports dialogue, shares insights, and inspires actions toward equitable water access and sustainable water futures for all (including non-humans).
Friday 31 January 2025
8.00- 17.30 AEDT (UTC/GMT +11 hours)
National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent Acton Peninsula, Canberra Canberra, ACT 2600; or online via Zoom.
RSVP essential, please register here
Agenda
Summary report
The Summary of Events report gives an overview of the inaugral Water Justice Day 2025 proceedings and key messages.
Contributors and Highlights
Mexico ‘Women and their role in water justice’
Gabriela Medina, Seri Indigenous Nation; Sonora (Northwest Mexico), and María de los Angeles Santiago, Zapoteca Indigenous Nation, Oaxaca (Southern Mexico), with Convenor Carolina Escobar-Neira (Deputy Coordinator of Social Participation at the Mexican Institute of Water Technology).
View the presentation, ‘Water, Human Rights and Gender in Mexico’ (PDF 3.3MB, Spanish).
Argentina ‘Voices and Knowledge: Building Water Justice through Communities' knowledge and Education’
Laura Vicuña Pereira Manso, (Vice President of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) and a woman of the Kariri people), and Luis Liberman, (Rector of the University of Water, Argentina) with Convenor Gabriela Sacco (Executive Director, Institute for Global Dialogue and Culture of Encounter).
Our Daily Water Voices, presented at Water Justice Day 2025
Australia Baaka, New South Wales
David Doyle (artist of the Barkindji/Malyangapa people, New South Wales, Australia), with convenor Dan Schulz, (PhD Candidate, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University).
Australia Martuwarra, Kimberley, ‘Talking Circle’
Anne Poelina (Chair Indigenous Knowledges, Nulungu Research Institute, University of Notre Dame) and Gary Lilienthal, (Research Analyst), Pat Riley, Gary Lilienthal; Cecilia Lake and Jocelyn James.
View the presentation, ‘Aboriginal Women’s Complaints: Ignored in Judicial Discourse’ (PDF 784KB, English).
India ‘Voices of Women and Vulnerable Communities on Water with a Civil Society Network in western India’
Sunderrajan Krishnan Executive Director, (INREM Foundation), with Convenor Safa Fanaian (Researcher, Australian National University).
Pravah video presented on Water Justice Day 2025
Kenya ‘Water service delivery in rural Kenya: the journey of FundiFix’
Cliff Nyaga (FundiFix) and Mary Musenya Sammy (FundiFix) with Saskia Nowicki (Postdoctoral Researcher) School of Geography and Environment, University of Oxford).
Water Service Delivery in Kenya, the journey of Fundifix video was presented on Water Justice Day 2025.
Closing Panel
Kirsty Howey, Pamela Katic, Sarah Milne, Anne Poelina, Kat Taylor, and Paul Wyrwoll, moderated by Quentin Grafton. Each panellist will share key insights and reflections from the day, followed by an open discussion on advancing water justice initiatives.
‘EveryOne, EveryWhere, EveryWhen’
The film presents a strength-based vision of the challenges and the ways forward towards sustaining Australia’s living waters with a focus on three special places: Baaka (western NSW), Martuwarra (Kimberley, WA) and the springs at or near to Mataranka and Roper River (NT). The screening will be introduced by Quentin Grafton and Anne Poelina. Followed by a Q&A session with several contributors to the film, providing a unique opportunity to explore the intersections of environmental justice, cultural heritage, and policy.
Watch the video with Professor Tortajada’s message about good water governance!
A message from Professor Cecilia Tortajada, of the University of Glasgow was a highlight on the lunchtime screening, along with the EveryOne, Everywhere, EveryWhen trailer (see above) and the short film, 433 Days.
433 Days is a film by Otis Filley and Dan Schulz, that chronicles the period in 2019 when the Darling-Baaka River endured consecutive days without water flow. Link to more about 433 Days.