A Conversation with Santiago Gómez, a Young Water Professional
By Santiago Gomez Molina 23 October, 2024
What are young water professionals focusing on? What changes are they trying to make for a water-secure future? How do they stay hopeful? We talk with Gómez, a member of the World Youth Parliament for Water
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Santiago Gómez has a background in hydraulic engineering and is a member of the World Youth Parliament for Water, a global network of young leaders dedicated to championing youth engagement in water management through grassroots initiatives and international advocacy.
While attending the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, Gómez along with other youth water professionals developed a Youth Statement that focused on three demands and twelve practical actions required to pave a water-secure world for generations to come. We sat down with Gómez to find out what sparked his passion to work in the water sector, challenges & missing dialogue in this space, as well as advice for aspiring water youths.
CWR: It was great meeting you at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali and congrats with the launch of the Youth Statement. Can you share your water journey with us – how it began and where you are now?
Santiago Gómez (SG): When I went to college, I took Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics. I remember enjoying these courses since I just felt all that math and physics made sense to me. Thanks to both experiences, I quickly fell in love with water. I felt passionate, and that drive made me engage multiple projects with the support of Juan Saldarriaga, my advisor, and his research group, the Water Distribution and Sewerage System Research Center (CIACUA). I worked in the Battle of Intermittent Water Supply (BIWS), the Battle of Water Demand Forecasting (BWDF), a research project at the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (INSA Lyon) and my research topic, which revolved around fractal analysis as a tool employed in the design and operation of water networks.
There’s disconnection between academia & industry…
… I realised that the Colombia water sector was miles away
During that time of my life, research was everything I knew. That was until I had the opportunity of supporting the creation of the virtual course of structuration and presentation of projects of drinking water and basic sanitation, a project proposed by the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), supported by the Ministry of Housing, City and Territory of Colombia (Vivienda) and the National Planning Department (DNP), led by Saldarriaga and developed by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of the Andes (Uniandes). Here, I was exposed to the realities of the Colombian water sector, and when I understood them, I came to the realization that the Colombian water sector was miles away from implementing the innovative approaches that I used in research.
After this experience, I understood that I was facing a challenge. First, the disconnection between academia and industry that did not allow to innovate in the design and operation processes. Also, the lack of investments of government since water infrastructure is never prioritized in political agendas. In addition, I saw lack of technical capacity of the Colombian water sector, mostly in rural areas. I felt really moved by the situation of the Colombian water sector, especially this contradiction that occurs in one of the countries with the greatest amount of fresh water, that when you go out into rural areas, the water that you take from the tap is unfit for human consumption. It did not make any sense.
I hope to keep working on consulting & in research to keep bridging science & industry
In the end, I chose to stay working in Colombia. Now, I work at an engineering consulting firm. Here, I have worked in the hydraulics area, designing the drainage infrastructure of highway projects, and in an approximation to the regional trunk network and treatment systems of La Guajira. I hope to keep working on consulting and in research to keep bridging science and industry and to keep pushing efforts for the advancement of the Colombian water sector.
CWR: Can you give us some insight into what young water professionals (YWP) are thinking, feeling and talking about today? What are the main topics YWPs found pivotal during the 6th General Assembly and the 10th World Water Forum?
SG: The 6th General Assembly and the 10th World Water Forum highlighted three main topics that need international and local attention. These topics are summarized in the Youth Statement. After extensive discussion, the young water professionals of the world proposed the following:
- Water and Peace (W&P);
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); and
- Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
On Water and Peace (W&P), young water professionals demand authorities to guarantee that water is not used as a coercive tool through the promotion of dialogues that actively discuss water issues to prevent future and resolve current water-related conflicts.
On Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), young water professionals agree that WASH today revolves around climate change management and mitigation, the creation of a public and financial roadmap that facilitates WASH projects, and the systematization of technological alternatives to traditional water infrastructure solutions.
On Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), young water professionals demand a shift from disaster management to risk management including communities in the process and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as tools for climate resilience.
Under these three topics, initiatives can be related to technical, academic, water management and cooperation aspects, but the youth considers that it is necessary to harmonize these aspects to further increase the impact of the implemented solutions inside the water sector. This means that water management and cooperation authorities and initiatives require engaging dialogue with technical experts and academia, and academics and technical experts need to learn about the issues reported by water management authorities and cooperation initiatives. This is really the key to impact the water sector in the future.
“We, as professionals in the sector, are seeing this problem, and this is the reason why we are choosing to foster multidisciplinary profiles.”…
Young water professionals consider that water issues are multidimensional. We believe that they respond to a difference on approaches to issues between decision-makers and technicians, and to a conflict between traditional and alternative approaches. We, as professionals in the sector, are seeing this problem, and this is the reason why we are choosing to foster multidisciplinary profiles. Today, young water professionals believe that they do not have to dedicate only to research or academia, to traditional or alternative systems. We believe they that we need to understand different scenarios to potentiate our own impact. My own background is on WASH, and this is how this looks to me:
Yes, I know a thing or two about research, but for example, if the Ministry of Housing, City and Territory opens a tendering process for a water network, how can I add value to a technical project that includes my research knowledge? This is the point where I would include a couple of aspects related to what I’ve learned.
…”It is all about thinking about the box, and that requires building multidisciplinary knowledge, a lot of dialogue and creativity.”
Same thing applies to all types of approaches to problems. For example, if I want to design a pipe system, why not including some green infrastructure that helps reducing flood risk during an extreme rain event? Or if I identify that a community has an idea for dealing with water supply that is effective and works, why not try to develop technical standards for that alternative that provide validation to the authorities?
It is all about thinking about the box, and that requires building multidisciplinary knowledge, a lot of dialogue and creativity.
CWR: Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is usually a key discussion at water conferences yet, there are still 2 billion people globally without safely managed water. What are the challenges stopping this from being solved? Do YWPs have a different approach to solving this?
SG: In terms of WASH, the working theme related to this topic identified four ideas that require work in the world:
- Gray infrastructure/Green and blue infrastructure;
- Traditional systems/Alternative technologies;
- Climate change/operation; and
- Investment prioritization/Legal framework.
On gray, green and blue infrastructure, what we understood is that in other aspects of water such as DRR related to flood events, stakeholders have had the ability to implement green and blue infrastructure, notably, Nature-based Solutions, but this has not been equally possible in WASH.
We believe that this occurs because WASH experts have not taken sufficient time to think about green and blue infrastructure specific to WASH, but we are convinced that this dialogue is possible and should be made. YWP believe in a world in which gray infrastructure, i.e., traditional pipe systems, can work synergically alongside green and blue infrastructure WASH solutions to increase the overall resilience of water infrastructure.
On traditional systems and alternative technologies, we believe that in a context in which presenting projects to the water authorities requires the satisfaction of certain technical, legal, financial, environmental and property requirements, technological alternatives to traditional water solutions are in a clear disadvantage. There are design manuals for traditional water supply and sewer systems, and the authorities know with detail all the requirements involved in their development.
Need regulatory openness & a global database to support implementation of alternative technologies
This is not the case for technological alternatives. To tackle this problem in practice, projects involving the implementation of technological alternatives must find a way of adapting to current regulations to satisfy project requirements. In this regard, YWP believe it is necessary to establish a dialogue between project formulators and authorities with openness to implement alternative technological approaches where suitable since they can be equally efficient. We also believe it is necessary to create a database of alternative technological solutions in WASH to develop a global network of technically validated technological alternatives that project formulators inside communities can use to facilitate the design process.
On climate change and operation, we consider that operation has been relegated from the design stage. This means that designs are being made only considering the minimum technical guidelines related to the requirements revised by government authorities. However, when operation occurs, problems that could have been considered during the design process start arising. In this regard, YWP consider that project requirements must demand the assessment of basic operational scenarios to guarantee reliability of the implemented solutions.
For water supply, assessments must be based on the analysis of climate change & operational scenarios – e.g. like including the variation of water demand given different several RCP scenarios
In water supply, this assessment must be based on the analysis of climate change and operational scenarios, for example, the analysis of the variation of water demand given different several RCP scenarios, or by considering the dynamic variation of demands due to the real-time behavior of the analyzed water network. In sanitation systems, by the modeling of rain events using dynamic or kinematic wave, the analysis of overflow, among other aspects.
On investment prioritization and legal framework, we understood that the water sector tends to be underfinanced and not prioritized by public authorities, and that policies related to the water sector tend to be outdated given this lack of attention. The lack of prioritization by public authorities diminishes the possibility of creating incentives for investments, notably from private stakeholders, and outdated regulations undermine innovation inside the sector, notably, on the implementation of green and blue infrastructure and technological alternatives to traditional systems.
In this regard, YWP consider that governments must understand that the long term economic and societal cost of not having access to WASH justifies the prioritization of the water sector, and that stakeholders need to not take water running through the tap for granted and invest in the infrastructure and the operational schemes that guarantee water access. At the same time, regulations require advancements, notably, creating obligations in project requirements that refer to operational and climate change assessment.
CWR: With accelerated climate impacts further exacerbating all water-related issues, how can we stay optimistic and what’s one key piece of advice you would like to give to youths that are aspiring to work in this space?
SG: In terms of climate change and water-related issues, I believe that we can stay optimistic only if we start materializing actions.
Climate change requires us to think outside the box to solve water-related issues, but the whole water sector must think equally to structurally tackle it
YWP know how climate change requires us to think outside the box to solve water-related issues, but the whole water sector must think equally to be able to structurally tackle climate change. Also, climate change looks different in different contexts, and the water sector needs to understand that solutions occurring in one place may not be applicable to others. This calls out for the allocation of investments that help understand how climate change looks and affects different communities. We need to put money to understand climate change, but we also need to put money to implement actions in the design and operation processes that mitigate climate change effects. Climate change is an aspect that should now be transverse to all design and operation processes, and stakeholders must assume this to keep optimistic.
I wanted to highlight that the ability to tackle climate change also responds to the quality of capacity building inside the water sector. To keep optimistic, the water sector must focus on capacity building related to the challenges of the 21st Century, and actions should be made to attract new YWP. Capacity building should be broader, since new professionals need to understand the management and technical aspects of traditional systems, but they also need to build knowledge on green and blue infrastructure, technological alternatives to traditional systems, current research topics, innovation and sustainability to be able to prepare the sector for climate change.
Advice to YWPs: don’t be scared to implement your knowledge & engage with leaders…
… and if you want to transform the world through water, the water sector would be extremely happy to welcome you.
My piece of advice for the youth trying to work in the water sector would be to not be scared to implement their knowledge, to not be scared to talk to leaders in the sector, and to understand that dealing with the water of society imposes a tremendous responsibility. Finally, I would advise that when you propose a solution or when you find an issue, after thinking about the objectives of your action, try to understand how what you are looking for can be materialized into reality, and then include those stakeholders responsible for making what you are looking for a reality in the dialogue. This way, ideas are not relegated to words of speech and have a higher chance of becoming a reality.
The water sector has made me genuinely feel how people’s wellbeing increases after accessing water. The fulfilment I have received from seeing how my ideas are impacting the lives of people has been incomparable. If you want to transform the world through water, the water sector would be extremely happy to welcome you.
The water sector is incredible, and if you are interested, engage it.
Further readings
- Youth & Water – 3 Key Takeaways from Egypt & Stockholm – CWR intern Whitebrook shares key takeaways from his recent trips for the Youth Water Parliament
- 2023 World Water Week: 3 Key Takeaways & Personal Reflections – Back in-person at World Water Week after 5 years, CWR’s McGregor & Lam share key takeaways & reflections on the conference, for one 10 years on & the other on her first
- Empowering Youth To Face Climate Change – Youth Climate Leaders’ Moraes & Matsuoka share a unique experience for youths to become the next generation of climate leaders
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