Philip Kruse is a spatial planner currently working at the Technical University of Dortmund, reseraching climate change adaptation and resilience. He has previously worked with urban water supply and disposal, especially nature-based solutions.
Philip has been coordinating the Water Youth Network’s HR team ever since he joined the organization and played a major role in preparing for the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia and the 2018 Stockholm World Water Week. Philip has recently been selected to be one of four youth in the World Water Council’s Youth Delegates Program leading towards the 9th World Water Forum in 2021
Erin Jordan, is a recent graduate of IHE Delft in the study of Water Management with a specialization in Water Quality Management. Erin works in the IWRM group in WYN. She is constantly seeking knowledge and new ways to improve daily life and she is passionate about engaging with the SWWW and the WYN to grow as a woman in water and science and to help improve the world’s views on the importance of water and hygiene.
Lako Mbouendeu Stephane is an experienced Agricultural Engineer and Water Resources and Services Manager who besides pursuing a PhD in water management also works with multiple NGOs, including Water for Life Cameroon, which he founded in 2014. Lako works towards promoting youth ability to contribute in solving water issues such as flooding, drouht, and access to safe water and sanitation.
Lako as a member of Disaster Risk Reduction and Partnership Team at Water Youth Network and he is the WASAG focal point. He was actively involved with the 8th World Water Forum and the Stockholm Water Week 2018.
Malek Albualfailat is a practitioner, researcher, entrepreneur and consultant in the field of Water, and Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH). Malek has ample experience establishing and supporting start-ups and collaborating with a wide range of actors in the field of water, sanitation, and climate change, including: public institutions, civil society organizations, private sector, academia and the international community, through working for various donor-projects including USAID, GIZ, World Bank, SIDA and Canadian Aids.
Sara Löwgren is currently studying human ecology at College of the Atlantic in Maine, USA. She has studied climate change, energy, and water in political and scientific contexts, leading local and international projects that aim to promote sustainable development. Her undergraduate thesis investigates the local perceptions and impacts of hydroelectric dams in northern Sweden. Drawing on her diverse experience with writing, Sara works for the WYN communications team. She will serve as a junior rapporteur at the SWWW19.
Isha Basyal is originally from Nepal and is currently based at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. For the last 4 years, she has managed the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded project on Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) for Asian and African region. Isha is also a certified WASH trainer fand she is personally involved in capacity building of over 150 FSM key players from Asian and African regions. Travelling to different regions for sanitation-related projects has not only helped her gather firsthand experience on the sanitation situations but also introduced to individuals who have contributed significantly for the sectoral uplift.
Cleopas Mwanzia Mulevu is a water and environmental Engineer. Being an environmental engineer, Cleopas’s key interest in life is to leave behind a better environment for both the current and the future generations. He is particularly concerned about how population growth exacerbates watershed deterioration and environmental pollution, fueling conflict on the local and the international level. Cleopas believes in the power of networks to overcome global challenges and create innovative solutions. The Water Youth Network inspires Cleopas, who believes much is going to happen when we bring our brains together.
Natalija Vojno is a founding member of the Water Youth Network and a former board member. As the outgoing governance team co-lead, and as part of the DUPC project, she led an international survey on the role of young people in water diplomacy and is currently coordinating the research and recommendations that will be co-developed with young practitioners during the 2019 Youth in Water Diplomacy Workshop in Egypt. She has experience with water management across sectors and scales. Notably Natalija facilitated the drafting and input of young professionals towards the 2013 Budapest Water Summit calling for an independent SDG for water and spoke on the importance of including young people in decision-making during the 2018 UN High Level Political Forum.