2024 Water Professional of the Year: Four decades working on and for Country

To mark this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (9 August), Water Source caught up with the 2024 Water Professional of the Year, proud Gomeroi man and University of Canberra Galambany Professorial Fellow, Professor Phil Duncan.   

Sponsored by KSB, the 2024 Water Professional of the Year title was awarded to Professor Duncan for his outstanding contribution to the water sector through his water management expertise and advocacy for the rights of Indigenous peoples across the continent.  

The Australian Water Awards stand to recognise innovation and excellence within the water community, with state and territory individual and project awards now open for nominations.  

Reflecting on his career in water, Duncan said his work and achievements within the sector are all connected to what he has learned from his Country, his family and his culture.  

“When I first thought about my future, all I wanted to be was the next big NRL player,” Duncan said.  

“But that changed significantly. I had the wonderful opportunity to learn from my grandfather about our Country and how Country is our teacher and mother that cares and provides for us. 
 
“My grandfather and Mum always said that our cultural knowledge is significant and can play a role in caring for and repairing Country. Most of all, we need to know, respect and understand Country as our teacher.” 

A large part of Professor Duncan’s current work is in communicating, networking and influencing people and agencies to be more confident in the cultural space, with his key mantra “being better together, with and for Indigenous people and community” foundational to his approach.  

Professor Duncan’s network has grown via wonderful opportunities to attend key national and international conferences, forums and events. During COP28 in December 2023, Duncan made history as the first Indigenous Australian representative to address the COP Presidency. 

“In these spaces, we can have a very positive impact and showcase how hard we are working together on the platforms of inclusion, respect and trust that brings about greater collaboration and partnerships,” he said.  
 
“My focus is to highlight that we as Indigenous people, globally, live in mirrors. Our lives, cultural values, knowledge, perspective, responsibility and obligations are what connect us. Our desire to take the lead in repairing and caring for Country and people is what unites us. 

“We also look at the future through the eyes of our next generations. Teaching and integrating youth into our journey is a united responsibility. Country and people exchanges are a global vision to move forward together. 

“I believe this work is what I am meant to do. I love challenging people to think through a cultural lens, to be more curious about what they can learn and be more confident in the cultural space.”

Promoting Indigenous leadership

While his pathway into the water sector has been totally unconventional, Duncan said the 40 years’ worth of experience he has accrued has been fundamental to his current outlook on strategy, leadership and engagement.  

“I have worked in a wide range of areas starting as a shearer and across the rural sector, employment and training, justice and forestry, but my real passion is Country and people, particularly gali (water),” he said.  

“I lived and grew up on my river – the Gwydir – and know how significant the river system is to people and Country.  

“I have decades of experience working with communities and governments to improve the lives of Aboriginal people through recognition of our rich cultural history, the return of our lands, the improvement of our living conditions and the education of our next generation. 

“My strategic advice, leadership and engagement is around issues of culture and heritage significance, community engagement in on-ground projects, as well as the design, delivery and implementation of programs in partnership with the government.” 

Central to this work is ensuring the appropriate and respectful representation of Indigenous knowledge systems and culture, Duncan said: “Nothing about us without us”.  

“I’ve had the opportunity to lead significant research and infrastructure projects that have a significant cultural focus, which lead to extremely positive changes in the water arena, particularly with greater appreciation for Indigenous leadership,” he said.  

“I am passionate about promoting greater partnerships and collaborations using two-way knowledge exchanges and enhancing the voices of Traditional Owners in land and water management via the integration of Cultural Science into the western scientific framework.”

The role of Indigenous Knowledge

Global water systems are increasingly stressed by human demands, and the vast majority of the world’s major river systems are now dominated by anthropogenic influences, Duncan said. 
 
“In many cases, this has led to rivers and lakes that are environmentally degraded and increasingly incapable of providing the ecosystem services that humans rely on. These pressures have had two important consequences for Indigenous peoples,” he said.  
 
“The first is increased demands for water and energy, heightening tensions around Indigenous land and water rights.  
 
“The second is a recognition that Indigenous Knowledge has an important role in providing models for water governance, allocation and restoration of habitats, and is a key component of policy and management resilience.” 
 
In light of inadequate and demand-driven engagement with Indigenous peoples around water, Duncan said there is now a growing ethical recognition of the land and water rights of Indigenous people, and the deep injustices generated by colonisation. 
 
“The Indigenous Declaration on Water established a set of obligations and expectations around Indigenous engagement in water planning and management,” he said.  

“Governance of immediate natural resource management challenges, such as climate change and water scarcity, would benefit from Indigenous perspectives.  
 
“Climate change poses a major threat to the physical health of Indigenous communities and their ability to sustain traditional life, languages, cultures and knowledge. Application of Indigenous Knowledge is recognised internationally as relevant and of practical importance to adaptation and mitigation of adverse impacts of a changing climate.”

Minding the gap

Despite the increasing recognition of the need to engage Indigenous perspectives to generate sustainable and resilient management and policy decisions, Duncan said there remains a substantive gap between intent and implementation.  

“Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth, yet it has been the traditional lands of its original inhabitants, First Nations peoples, for thousands of generations – over 65,000 years,” he said.  

“There is an urgent need for robust approaches to engaging Indigenous Knowledge to inform water management. Including Indigenous perspectives and actively engaging Indigenous people in water management is critical to generating resilient models of management and governance.” 

Duncan said protecting water landscapes, including surface and ground water, has always been a high priority for survival, but protecting water remains a cultural obligation for Indigenous peoples, as well. 

“In the Australian Indigenous world view, people and Country, including lands, waterways, skies, and seas, are inter-dependent entities that are intrinsically linked in the landscape through cultural and spiritual significance, stories and songs,” he said.  

“This means that there is no separation of nature and culture – the health of the natural environment and cultural wellbeing of Indigenous people is directly influenced by the health of the cultural landscapes.  
 
“An old saying of many Indigenous groups is ‘water is life’. Connections with water are detailed through a complex oral tradition of customary lore, stories, songs and Dreaming. 

“My advice to those who want to participate in this crucial work is to come walk and talk with us, on Country. Come sit and learn and explore your inner thoughts and desires on how you can be the best with us and for us.” 

Do you know of an inspirational water professional working to transform the water community? State and territory award nominations are now open, with water sector professionals encouraged to nominate leading individuals and projects.