Tanner Springs Park in Portland, Oregon. An example of integrated stormwater management.
Morphum Environmental Southern Sector Manager Stu Farrant has been awarded a 2018 Winston Churchill Fellowship. The fellowship has been granted to Stu to support research into international urban water management and the enabling factors which have contributed to successful outcomes.
Over June and July next year, Stu will travel to Germany, Denmark, Sweden and USA to meet with industry, research and governance leaders in cities where adoption of integrated urban water management has driven improved environmental and social outcomes. With a focus on the drivers for change, policy tools, funding mechanisms and adoption of innovation, it is hoped that the research will provide valuable and useful insights which are applicable to the New Zealand context. Increasing recognition of the need to take action on our water quality and growing community understanding of the issue in urban areas provides a timely backdrop on which to learn from international experiences to inform efficient and resilient solutions across New Zealand.
In advance of the travel, Stu will be active in pulling together a number of forums and discussions to canvas special interests of stakeholders in New Zealand. On his return, he will deliver findings to these stakeholders through a range of media.
We look forward to this research supporting an increased understanding of effective implementation pathways to drive positive change with regards to our urban freshwater and marine receiving environments. We are grateful to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for recognising the value of international research to a broad range of disciplines in New Zealand, and supporting what we are sure will be useful research by Stu in 2018.