International Day of Action for Rivers | WSP Skip to content
  • Who we are

    We are the sum of our collective passion, vision and expertise.

    Discover our people, purpose and stories that have helped shape the organisation we are today and are inspiring the one we will become.

    Who we are
    • What We Stand For
    • Our Story
    • Corporate Responsibility
    • Leadership Team
    Corporate Responsibility
    • Communities
    • Corporate Governance
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Ethics and Integrity
    • Health and Safety
    • Sustainability
    Featured Content

    150 Years in Aotearoa WSP

    150 years on we’re proud to have the blueprint of Aotearoa in our DNA and to be involved in the…

  • What We Do

    We shape the communities of tomorrow and help society thrive.

    With an intimate sense of local realities, we look at complex problems from different angles and deliver solutions that break paradigms.


    View All

    • Sectors
    • Services
    • Projects
    What We Do
    • Property and Buildings
    • Transport
    • Water
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Research
    Property and Buildings
    • Architecture
    • Asset Management
    • Building Services
    • Commercial and Mixed Use
    • Education
    • Geotechnical
    • Green Building Design
    • Healthcare
    • Heritage Services
    • Hospitality
    • Property Advisory
    • Residential
    • SHE Consultancy Service
    • Surveying, Mapping and GIS
    Transport
    • Asset Management
    • Aviation
    • Bridge Design
    • Geotechnical
    • Landscape and Urban Design
    • Maritime
    • Rail Design
    • Road Design
    • SHE Consultancy Service
    • Surveying and GIS
    • Transport Planning
    Water
    • Environmental Training Centre
    • Rural Services
    • Water and Wastewater Networks
    • Water and Wastewater Treatment
    • Water Resources and Flood Risk Management
    Environment
    • Archaeology
    • Contaminated Land
    • Environmental Management
    • Environmental Training Centre
    • Landscape and Urban Design
    • Resource Management Planning
    • SHE Consultancy Service
    • Sustainability
    Energy
    • Energy Management
    • Power Generation and Distribution
    • SHE Consultancy Service
    • Surveying, Mapping and GIS
    Research
    • Environmental Effects
    • Human Centred Design
    • Monitoring Assets
    • Research Design
    • Resilience to Hazards
    • Society and Business
    • Socio-economic Research
    • Wind Engineering
    Featured Content
    bnr-bridge-walkway

    Transport

    Helping you develop smart, sustainable and cost effective transport solutions, with a future focus.

  • Insights

    Our experts offer compelling insights that provide new perspectives.

    Read inspiring articles that challenge the status quo by reframing current issues, sparking fresh conversations and finding new solutions.

    View all
    Insights
    • Climate
    • Mobility
    • Places
    • Resources
    • Society
    • Technology
    Featured Content
    bnr-bridge-walkway

    Accelerated Construction: embracing the new…

    As chaotic as Covid-19 has been, it's also shown us the things we thought were impossible…

  • Careers

    Help us shape the future

    Join a collaborative team of experts that thrives on complex challenges and unconventional thinking.

    See more
    Careers
    • Join Us
    • Early Career
    • Experienced Professionals
    • Why Choose WSP
    Featured Content

    Will physical distancing be the end of the office?

    It could make it into the place we’ve always wanted it to be 

  • Who we are
    • What We Stand For
    • Our Story
    • Corporate Responsibility
      • Who we are
      • Accountable for Tomorrow
        • Communities
        • Corporate Governance
        • Diversity and Inclusion
        • Ethics and Integrity
        • Health and Safety
        • Sustainability
    • Leadership Team
  • What We Do
    • Property and Buildings
      • What We Do
      • Expertise at your service
        • Architecture
        • Asset Management
        • Building Services
        • Commercial and Mixed Use
        • Education
        • Geotechnical
        • Green Building Design
        • Healthcare
        • Heritage Services
        • Hospitality
        • Property Advisory
        • Residential
        • SHE Consultancy Service
        • Surveying, Mapping and GIS
    • Transport
      • What We Do
      • Expertise at your service
        • Asset Management
        • Aviation
        • Bridge Design
        • Geotechnical
        • Landscape and Urban Design
        • Maritime
        • Procurement and Contract
        • Rail Design
        • Road Design
        • SHE Consultancy Service
        • Surveying and GIS
        • Transport Planning
    • Water
      • What We Do
      • Expertise at your service
        • Environmental Training Centre
        • Rural Services
        • Water and Wastewater Networks
        • Water and Wastewater Treatment
        • Water Resources and Flood Risk Management
    • Environment
      • What We Do
      • Expertise at your service
        • Archaeology
        • Contaminated Land
        • Environmental Management
        • Environmental Training Centre
        • Landscape and Urban Design
        • Resource Management Planning
        • SHE Consultancy Service
        • Sustainability
    • Energy
      • What We Do
      • Expertise at your service
        • Energy Management
        • Power Generation and Distribution
        • SHE Consultancy Service
        • Surveying, Mapping and GIS
    • Research
      • What We Do
      • Expertise at your service
        • Built Environment
        • Environmental Effects
        • Human Centred Design
        • Measurement Devices
        • Monitoring Assets
        • Research Design
        • Resilience to Hazards
        • Society and Business
        • Socio-economic Research
        • Transport Safety
        • Wind Engineering
  • Insights
    • Climate
    • Mobility
    • Places
    • Resources
    • Society
    • Technology
  • Careers
    • Join Us
    • Early Career
    • Experienced Professionals
    • Why Choose WSP
Back

We are locally dedicated with international scale.

New Zealand - English

International

  • Global
    English - Français

Americas

  • Canada
    English - Français
  • Chile
    Español
  • Colombia
    Español
  • Mexico
    Español
  • Panama
    Español
  • Peru
    Español
  • United States
    English

Africa

  • South Africa
    English

Asia

  • China
    äø­ę–‡(简体) - English
  • Hong Kong
    English
  • India
    English
  • Malaysia
    English
  • Philippines
    English
  • Singapore
    English
  • South Korea
    ķ•œźµ­ģ–“(ėŒ€ķ•œėÆ¼źµ­) - English
  • Thailand
    English

Europe

  • Denmark
    Dansk
  • Finland
    Suomi
  • France
    Français
  • Germany
    Deutsch
  • Greenland
    Kalaallisut - English
  • Netherlands
    Nederlands
  • Norway
    Norsk
  • Poland
    Polski - English
  • Romania
    English
  • Spain
    Español
  • Sweden
    Svenska - English
  • Switzerland
    Deutsch - English
  • United Kingdom
    English

Middle East

  • Kuwait
    English
  • Oman
    English
  • Qatar
    English
  • Saudi Arabia
    English
  • United Arab Emirates
    English

Oceania

  • Australia
    English
  • New Zealand
    English
Worldwide Offices
    • Investors

      Discover our diverse business, financial results and strategic ambitions.

      We are committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders and exceptional professional services to our clients.

      Read more
      Investors
      • Corporate Governance
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
      • Stock Information
      • Shareholder Information
      • Presentations and Events
      Corporate Governance
      • Audit Committee
      • Board of Directors
      • Business Conduct Hotline
      • Constating Documents
      • Governance Documents
      • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
      • Mandates
      Reports & Filings
      • AIF
      • Annual
      • Information Circular
      • Quarterly
      • SEDAR Filings
      • Sustainability
      Stock Information
      • Analyst Coverage
      Shareholder Information
      • Acquisitions
      • Dividends
      • Drip
      • FAQ
      Featured Content
      Thn-Web-Q42020-Results

      WSP's Q4 and 2020 Results

      We released our 2020 fourth quarter and fiscal results on February 24, 2021 after market close.

    • Investors
      • Corporate Governance
        • Investors
        • Corporate Governance
          • Audit Committee
          • Board of Directors
          • Business Conduct Hotline
          • Constating Documents
          • Governance Documents
          • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
          • Mandates
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
        • Investors
        • REPORTS & FILINGS
          • AIF
          • Annual
          • Information Circular
          • Quarterly
          • SEDAR Filings
          • Sustainability
      • Stock Information
        • Investors
        • Stock Information
          • Analyst Coverage
      • Shareholder Information
        • Investors
        • Shareholder Information
          • Acquisitions
          • Dividends
          • Drip
          • FAQ
      • Presentations and Events
    • News
    • Contact us

      We are dedicated to our local communities and driven by global talent.

      Contact us to find out how our diversified offering, world-class expertise and geographical reach can assist you in achieving your vision.


      Follow us

      Contact us
      • Contact us
      • Offices
      Featured Content

      Our offices

      Acting locally means being present in our communities in New Zealand. Use the map above to contact…

    • Investors

      Discover our diverse business, financial results and strategic ambitions.

      We are committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders and exceptional professional services to our clients.

      Read more
      Investors
      • Corporate Governance
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
      • Stock Information
      • Shareholder Information
      • Presentations and Events
      Corporate Governance
      • Audit Committee
      • Board of Directors
      • Business Conduct Hotline
      • Constating Documents
      • Governance Documents
      • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
      • Mandates
      Reports & Filings
      • AIF
      • Annual
      • Information Circular
      • Quarterly
      • SEDAR Filings
      • Sustainability
      Stock Information
      • Analyst Coverage
      Shareholder Information
      • Acquisitions
      • Dividends
      • Drip
      • FAQ
      Featured Content
      Thn-Web-Q42020-Results

      WSP's Q4 and 2020 Results

      We released our 2020 fourth quarter and fiscal results on February 24, 2021 after market close.

    • Investors
      • Corporate Governance
        • Investors
        • Corporate Governance
          • Audit Committee
          • Board of Directors
          • Business Conduct Hotline
          • Constating Documents
          • Governance Documents
          • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
          • Mandates
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
        • Investors
        • REPORTS & FILINGS
          • AIF
          • Annual
          • Information Circular
          • Quarterly
          • SEDAR Filings
          • Sustainability
      • Stock Information
        • Investors
        • Stock Information
          • Analyst Coverage
      • Shareholder Information
        • Investors
        • Shareholder Information
          • Acquisitions
          • Dividends
          • Drip
          • FAQ
      • Presentations and Events
    • News
    • Contact us
      • Contact us
      • Offices
  1. We Are WSP
  2. Insights
  3. International Day of Action for Rivers

International Day of Action for Rivers: a celebration of women and rivers

March 14th marks the International Day of Action for Rivers - a day (amongst many) where communities band together to celebrate the conversations & initiatives that are happening to support and protect our natural river ways.
Wednesday, 13 March 2019

March 14th marks the International Day of Action for Rivers - a day (amongst many) where communities band together to celebrate the conversations & initiatives that are happening to support and protect our natural river ways.

This year's theme celebrates the exclusive role of women in protecting and managing the health of our rivers; an ‘action’ that is still considered immaterial in some cultures and countries today.

In most cultures, women are considered the primary users of water in their households and communities. Tasked with securing, maintaining, and using water resources in agriculture, fisheries, forest and land management, women sustain life through their relationships to water (InternationalRivers.org).

But despite this affiliation, women are (still) far less represented in the decision-making process when it comes to the future of our waterways and rivers.

Catherine Hamilton, WSP Technical Principal for Landscape Architecture has been involved in many of WSP's open space design and planning projects - where rivers are part of the wider landscape.

Often, an element of her role involves reinstating the life of a river that has been degraded due to poor land use practice. A recent project is the Scott Point Sustainable Sports Park masterplan; which will see the degraded Nimrod Stream return to a healthy inlet of the Waitemata Harbour. Catherine has also been involved in numerous native revegetation projects along stream corridors in which her team plan for the removal of noxious and unwanted plant species and design and replant with eco-sourced native plant species.

Catherine was the master planner and engagement lead for the work WSP carried out for Scott Point Sustainable Sports Park.

We caught up with Catherine to discuss her views on women in the context of 'action for rivers'.

"Women in the developing world play a fundamental role in managing water at the family level – the building block of the village/society. Their reliance on clean water for cooking and sanitation, and on the water in general for agriculture, is a matter of survival. I believe these women have very little power to influence the management of rivers, as they have little say in social and economic development decisions. They are often just surviving.  Yet their immediate reliance on nature suggests they may also possess greater wisdom about sustainable management of water compared with women in developed countries who are generally less connected with resources at the source.

The developed world is different. Women have access to education, which means they have a greater chance to be in positions of influence through knowledge, employment and application of their knowledge. Patriarchal power structures still stand in the way, but educated women’s voices have a better chance of being heard.

That said, I feel fortunate that as a landscape architect I am able to influence design and planning decisions related to rivers and waterways that contribute to their biophysical health, identity, aesthetics, cultural values including memory and meaning."


More on this subject

thn-insights-designing-built-environment

February 2021

Designing the Built Environment Through a Wider Lens

Australia
Society , Climate , Resilience
thn-wp-alliance-contracting

February 2021

Leveraging Project Procurement and Delivery Approaches for Positive Outcomes

White Paper
Mobility , Places , Resources , Resilience
Indigenous Cultures-Thumbnail

February 2021

Embracing Indigenous Cultures to Address Infrastructure Needs

Feature
Places , Resilience , Society
thn-Winners-without-losers-better-normal

February 2021 | 8 minutes

Net Zero: Can We Have Winners Without Losers?

Blog
Places , Resilience
thn-Web-Maritime_Reefer

February 2021

Setting sail for more efficient and greener trade by sea

Feature
Climate , Mobility , Resilience
thn-what-else-Net-zero-better-normal

January 2021 | 11 minutes

What Else Can Net Zero Do For Us?

Blog
Resilience , Resources , Society
Thn-Web-VZ-ITS-Article6

December 2020

Creating Safe Road Ecosystems

Feature
Mobility , Technology , Places , Society
thn-wsp-uber-whitepaper

December 2020

Future Ready Kerbside: Creating Places That Put People First

Australia
White Paper
Places , Resilience , Society
thn-mobility-intersection-insights

December 2020

A new mobility intersection

New Zealand
Feature
Places , Society
Thn-ArotahiTuawha-reshaping-napier

November 2020

Reshaping Napier

New Zealand
Arotahi Magazine
Resilience , Places
Thn-ArotahiTuawha-adapting-resilience

November 2020

Adapting to Resilience

New Zealand
Arotahi Magazine
Resilience
Thn-ArotahiTuawha-connecting-communities

November 2020

Connecting Communities in Aotearoa

New Zealand
Arotahi Magazine
Society

Share this page

  • Share on Facebook - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Linkedin - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Twitter - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Skype - Warning, this link will open your Skype application.


Related themes and tags

  • Climate (65)

  • Resilience (204)

  • Society (164)


  • Water (59)
  • Climate (82)
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  • Who We Are
  • What We Stand For
  • Our Story
  • Future Ready
  • New Zealand Leadership
  • Global Leadership
  • Our Offices
  • What We Do
  • Sectors
  • Services
  • Projects
  • Insights
  • Climate
  • Mobility
  • Places
  • Society
  • Resilience
  • Technology
  • Careers
  • Join Our Team
  • Holiday Act Remediation for Former Employee
  • Spontaneous Application
  • Corporate
  • Sustainability
  • Health and Safety
  • Investors
  • Business Conduct Hotline
  • News
  • Corporate Governance
  • Ethics and Integrity
  • Privacy Notice
    ©2021 WSP
    • The WSP Logo
    • Privacy Policy
    • Anti-Spam Commitment
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Use
    ©2021 WSP

    Exiting our Website

    You are about to leave WSP.com and are being redirected to a job opportunity at Louis Berger, which has been recently acquired by WSP in the US.