Charlotte Noble | McCall MacBain Kupe Leadership Scholar

Master of Urban Planning (Professional) and Heritage Conservation

Water security and management in our urban environments is a complex problem, and will become more and more important as the world, and our cities, suffer the effects of climate change. With this space already impacted by inequities in distribution, access, and control, the need for creative and compassionate leadership is paramount, particularly in Aotearoa where our water is so precious. 

With my studies I hope to challenge the existing knowledge and power paradigms that dictate the way we interact with water in urban environments. Cities are dynamic and inherently social spaces, but the water management field is currently dominated by scientific and technological epistemologies. Though these have a role to play, water management needs to better reflect the social and cultural nature of cities. We are already feeling the effects of climate change and I hope to help combat this immense challenge so as to safeguard our water and create resilient and thriving urban environments. 

Sponsor: McCall MacBain Foundation

Mentor: Dame Marilyn Waring, ONZM, a New Zealand public policy scholar, international development consultant, former politician, environmentalist, feminist and a principal founder of feminist economics. In 1975, aged 23, she became New Zealand's youngest member of parliament for the liberal-conservative New Zealand National Party. As a member of parliament she chaired the Public Expenditure Committee. Her support of the opposition Labour Party's proposed nuclear-free New Zealand policy was instrumental in precipitating the 1984 New Zealand general election. Waring has been a Professor of Public Policy at the Institute of Public Policy at AUT, focusing on governance and public policy, political economy, gender analysis, and human rights. She has taken part in international aid work and served as a consultant to UNDP and other international organisations.