"The WA Water Alliance is coming together—a growing coalition of individuals, groups, and organisations committed to safeguarding the lifeblood of our planet: water. As we unite, we amplify a single, powerful voice for the protection and restoration of the wellspring of life.”
The Vision
The Water Alliance is an education and advocacy civic society organisation, designed to be a coherent voice for water in WA.
- Advocacy - policy advocacy, position papers, media presence, political engagement, community organising
- Education - about the role of water in climate change and healthy and resilient landscapes, the threats to our freshwater and ways to be part of the healing and protection of water, sharing resources available for community members
- Citizen Science - capacity building and organising community members to measure and monitor water health
- Demonstration Restoration Projects
- Water Story Hub - First Nations and personal stories of water connection, observations of change, the importance of acting on water issues; Water Lore highlighting the cultural wisdom needed to keep water healthy
DNA
(how we go about it)
The Water Alliance aspires to be an example of following Nature’s principles in the process of working as an organisation.
The vision for the Water Alliance came from sitting with a river. The river showed Claire that water should be our primary organising principle. This is an example of ‘Natural Law,’ principles to follow in order to be in a harmonious relationship with Nature.
To further help with this, the Water Alliance will utilise under license 'Arjaway’s Principles of Social and Cultural Alchemy', which is a systems design and transformation model, by First Nations Yamatji, Dwayne Mallard. It upholds the 'Essence of the Old Ways' to preserve, protect, maintain and restore dignity of land waters, people and culture. These 'old ways' is what has sustained a thriving Culture, as the oldest living continuous culture on Mother Earth, in abundance for time immemorial.
Why Water, Why Now
Climate is not just about carbon and temperature. Water vapour is a potent greenhouse gas and more abundant than carbon. As temperatures rise, more water evaporates into the atmosphere, compounding the issue. Water is responsible for about 80% of the global heat dynamics.
As landscapes have been altered, degraded and dehydrated, the small water cycles are disrupted. We see more erratic rainfall patterns and less water going into the ground, resulting in more degradation of ecosystems and the propensity for drought, fire and flood.
Western Australia is no stranger to water issues. Declining rainfall in the southwest has been noted since the 60s. Recharge of Perth’s groundwater has declined by as much as 70% in the last half-century.
The southwest of WA has just experienced its longest driest spell on record, alongside severe heat. Soil moisture levels were at record lows by the end of summer. And perhaps most concerning, forest die-offs have been noted from the south coast all the way up to the Gascoyne region. At the same time, record flooding occurred in the Nullabor and earlier in the year in the Kimberley.
This issues go hand in hand with the removal and displacement of the traditional water and land managers, Aboriginal people, from Country.
The Time to Act is Now
2023 and 2024 broke climate records by a wide margin with a very noticeable uptick in the heating trend worldwide.
We are at a critical moment in relation to water in WA. Our ecosystems, food production systems and people depend on it.
‘Forest die-offs’ stretching from the south coast to Shark Bay. This is a water issue. Not just from lack of rain but also through breakdowns in small water cycles with depleting ground water and decreasing soil moisture.
We Believe
Water is the source of life; life emerged from and continues to be totally dependent on water. Water should be our primary organising principle - water first and water as ultimate indicator of sustainability. “Can you drink the water?”
‘Slow Water’ is right relationship with water - restoring the slow stages of water e.g. wetlands, so that it can interact with the land again, but also slowing ourselves so that we can connect, respect, and ultimately partner with water as a living being.
First Nations’ cultures carry the law of the land, including that of water, carry forth the connection and custodianship of Country, and also contain the wisdom that could make a Slow Water paradigm possible again. Culture should be respected, upheld, spotlighted and looked to for guidance at all times. Aboriginal people should be supported to be leaders in this space.
Water, in particular healthy water cycles, is the ‘green infrastructure’ we need for climate change resilience
Water gives hope - there’s tangible actions we can all do to work for water and climate through water
Water teaches and can change our thinking at a fundamental level - from parts to wholes and systems
First Phase
As the Water Alliance is coming together, there are a few actions that could be focussed on:
- Talking with people - mob and others with skin in the game - and coalescing those who want to be involved in the Alliance early on.
- Research and mapping - issues, opportunities, current efforts and stakeholders.
- Position papers - small groups of water allies can begin writing and publishing position papers on current issues. This could include things like the role of water in climate change, water and prescribed burning, water impacts of mining in forests, for example.
- Exploring funding opportunities
- Commence education, advocacy and story sharing via social media channels
Keeping in the spirit of following nature’s principles, as these relationships start to form and exploratory actions are taken, along with keeping an active relationship with water, the ideal form of the Water Alliance will emerge. Until the that time, the Alliance will be an unformalised movement in order to enable responsiveness and stay in listening, aligning and relationship building mode for as long as necessary… and to just get going!!
How to get involved
There are several ways to support and contribute in this early phase.
- If you have a water story to submit, a water resource to share, a suggestion of someone to talk to during the early research and mapping, or have a skill you would like to contribute yourself, please fill in this crowdsourcing/EOI form.
- Contribute to the Sacha Boodja Water Project
- Sign up to the mailing list for updates, including to hear about further opportunities to be involved
- Follow the WA Water Alliance on social media
- Support Claire to do the work by joining the Water Allies Membership!
- Book a water restoration consultation with Claire for your property