International Women’s Day: let’s celebrate our female researchers! Interview with Lilly Aufdembrinke

Together with our sister projects of the Gobernanza del agua 2027 Grupo de Sinergia, GOVAQUA and InnWater, we are delighted to dedicate this article to our female researchers to promote their work and careers around the development of water governance approaches.

These innovative approaches take into account the interdependencies between the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the design of coherent water governance practices and policies at different levels and in different sectors.

As part of RETOUCH NEXUS, we interviewed Ms Lilly Auddembrinke, Analyst in Water Programme at adelphi.

Career and challenges

Q.: Could you share your journey to becoming a researcher? What inspired you to pursue this path, what challenges have you faced as a woman in your field, and what is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from these experiences?

Ms Aufdembrinke: Water has always been the red or blue thread that runs through my life. For me, it is a way of looking at challenges and opportunities of our time and take action. For me, the most interesting is to work at the interface of science and practice as I am committed to not only producing knowledge but also to delivering it to the right audience. I would love to see a world in which we don’t have to make gender-based distinctions. But as long as inequalities exist, we must defend our rights! It was and still is very important to me to be visible and confidently pursue my path, to stand up for myself.

Role in the project

Q.: What do you do within the RETOUCH NEXUS project? How have your studies and expertise enabled you to fulfil this role?

Ms Aufdembrinke: As WP2 leaders, we (adelphi) focus on the broad field of stakeholder engagement. On case study level, we support the leaders of the six European case studies in planning and conducting activities to communicate project results, collect feedback or to provide room for discussions. On work package level, we drive the conceptualisation of various participation and engagement formats. For example, we are going to launch a RETOUCH WEFE Nexus podcast series, develop trainings on WEFE Nexus indicators (together with WP1 – TUM), and plan to establish communities of practice within RETOUCH and beyond. Based on my studies, I am a hydrologist and human geographer, always used to work interdisciplinary on my focus topic water. My background allows me to understand the tasks carried out by the case studies from a scientific angle. At the same time, my work experience at adelphi has taught me to develop and consolidate my methodological skills. These two threads come together at RETOUCH Nexus project which makes it pretty interesting for me.

Europe

Q.: At European level, do you think the research sector has become more open to women? What could be done to achieve greater equality between men and women in this field?

Ms Aufdembrinke: The world does not stand still and neither does the (European) researcher community. Much has already been done to achieve greater gender equality. Nevertheless, I have the impression that this aspect is often treated as simple checkbox to be fulfilled, instead of being internalised. So there is still room for improvement!

Q.: As an expert in sustainable water governance, what do you see as Europe’s greatest challenge in implementing sustainable water governance?

Ms Aufdembrinke: Water is a complex topic. On the one hand, it is so close to us, as it plays an indispensable role in the reality of our lives. At the same time, it is difficult to grasp, as it moves across national borders in eternal cycles. For me, it is crucial to safeguard access to and use of water in a fair and sustainable way. By this I refer to including those whose voices are least heard. Climate change and its consequences are more present than ever before – we need to find collective solutions to adapt to it. Communication and participation are key tools for me as we are not lacking in knowledge, but rather in collaborative implementation.

Q.: Finally, what advice would you give to future generations of women who want to become researchers?

“Follow your passion, stay curious and don’t be afraid to ask what is not clear to you. You are not the only one with questions – the others just don’t dare to ask them!“

Lilly Aufdembrinke

Read other interviews with the researchers: