Empowering women contributes to a more sustainable and resilient future for water management
Women have made significant contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, but a gender gap persists, especially in disciplines related to water and wastewater sciences. Addressing this gap is crucial for fostering diversity, innovation, and inclusivity in the water industry.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 with the theme #InspireInclusion, we highlight the achievements and contributions of a remarkable woman, Malin Falkenmark, a Swedish professor of applied and international hydrology who championed the inclusion of women in shaping the future of water management.
Falkenmark dedicated her life to the study of water, including promoting water science among women and girls. She was a role model for women in STEM, advocating for global water issues well into her 90s.
Career Highlights
Falkenmark (1925-2023) was an internationally acclaimed water expert. She served as executive secretary of the National Committee for UNESCO’s International Hydrological Program for many years.
Other career highlights include serving as rapporteur general of the United Nations Water Conference Mar del Plata in 1977, World Bank consultant for issues of growing water scarcity from 1988 to 1992, and as a member of the United Nations Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for Development and the U.N. Millennium Project Task Force for Environmental Sustainability. She was a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Water Partnership and Scientific Advisor to the Global Environment Facility and the Comprehensive Freshwater Assessment of the World. She served as senior scientific advisor to the Stockholm International Water Institute until her death in December 2023.
Contributions to Water Science
Her contributions to water science include the Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, an index that expresses the level of water scarcity for a given region as the amount of renewable fresh water available to each person living there each year. It is one of the most widely used measures of water availability for human use.
Falkenmark’s interest in the water we can’t see led her to introduce the concepts of green and blue water. She defined green water as rainwater that infiltrates the root zone in soil and that is available to plants for biomass production. Blue water runs off the soil surface and flows into rivers, lakes, and wetlands, or it seeps beyond the root zone to become groundwater held in aquifers. Blue water is ground and surface water that can be withdrawn for irrigation and other human applications.
During her lifetime, Falkenmark authored more than 400 research papers, many analyzing global water scarcity and other environmental challenges and their impact on hunger and poverty. In 2008, she co-authored the groundbreaking article Stationarity Is Dead, which turned on its head the conventional approach to managing water resources. In it, she helped argue that human-induced climate change has made the water cycle too unpredictable for water management systems to operate within a stationary context.
In 2018, at age 92, Falkenmark received the Blue Planet Prize for her work on global water problems and their impact on human populations. This prize is awarded annually to outstanding individuals or organizations whose work has contributed significantly to the improvement of the global environment.
In true role-model fashion, Falkenmark used her prize money to fund a youth workshop that was held during World Water Week in 2019 to empower Stockholm Junior Water Prize finalists to compile a joint statement on climate change. In their statement, presented to the U.N. General Assembly and the COP25 climate summit, the young finalists said: “Investments in education and research are paramount to bringing the necessary innovations to reality in order to overcome today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.”
Celebrating the Past and Looking Forward
Let us honor the legacy of Prof. Malin Falkenmark by renewing our commitment to bridging the gender gap in water and wastewater sciences. By championing diversity, fostering supportive environments, and recognizing the invaluable contributions of women in STEM, we can build a more inclusive future where everyone can thrive in water-related professions. As a testament to our dedication to closing the gender divide, Seven Seas has joined forces with InHerSight, the first of its kind, women-focused company reviews platform aimed at accelerating progress toward gender equity in the workplace. It’s not just a matter of equity but also essential for addressing global water challenges.
Image Credit: anawat/123rf
Leslie May is the Senior Marketing Manager for both AUC Group and Seven Seas Water Group. She joined the company in 2017 after serving in various marketing roles in the oil and gas industry. Mrs. May is responsible for creating and implementing marketing strategies, developing sales copy, liaising with company stakeholders, planning events, and managing the website and social media activity. She ensures brand consistency and promotes the company and its services, targeting the correct and appropriate audiences. Mrs. May graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies.