Design Emergency

Julia Watson on Design and Water

Feb 19, 2025

Julia Watson is an Australian-born, US-based designer and ecologist renowned for her work on ancient, nature-based design solutions. In this discussion, she highlights the pressing global water crisis and showcases how Indigenous communities have developed sustainable water management practices. Julia shares fascinating examples of floating farms and natural fishing systems that draw upon centuries-old innovations. She emphasizes the importance of respecting local communities while adapting traditional knowledge for modern urban challenges, as detailed in her upcoming book.

41:08

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Episode guests

Julia Watson

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Quick takeaways

Julia Watson emphasizes the integration of Indigenous knowledge in design as a means to create climate-resilient systems that respect traditional practices.

The podcast highlights historical and contemporary examples of nature-based water management systems that demonstrate sustainable solutions to modern ecological challenges.

Deep dives

The Importance of Indigenous Knowledge in Modern Design

Julia Watson emphasizes the need for integrating Indigenous knowledge into contemporary design practices as a foundational element for creating climate-resilient systems. Her exploration is rooted in the idea that effective design should not extract or disrespect Indigenous traditions but rather honor and utilize them. This perspective challenges traditional narratives and promotes a collaborative approach, wherein the voices and methodologies of Indigenous communities are its central components. By documenting and sharing these stories, Watson fosters a more inclusive conversation about sustainable design, aiming to build a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern challenges.

Intro

4min

The Crucial Connection Between Water and Design

2min

Evolving Practices in Indigenous Knowledge Representation

3min

Ancient Innovations in Water Management

7min

Integrating Traditional Knowledge in Urban Design

24min

As the global water crisis and climate emergency intensify, how can design help us to tackle the devastating food shortages, storm surges, rising sea-levels and other problems we face? On this episode of Design Emergency, the Australian designer, ecologist and activist, Julia Watson, tells our cofounder, Alice Rawsthorn how indigenous communities in remote parts of our planet have developed ancient, nature-based design solutions to these threats.

Julia shares examples of how natural water systems, many of them designed centuries ago, are already helping us to protect and replenish our dwindling water supplies, as well as to grow urgently needed crops on floating meadows and farms, and to establish natural fishing systems.

Many of these projects are described in Julia’s forthcoming book, Lo-TEK: Water, which will be published by Taschen in June as a follow-up to Lo-TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism, one of Design Emergency’s favourite design books of recent years. In Lo-TEK: Water, Julia also explains how these traditional design solutions are being adapted to function on the vast scale we need to tackle the global water crisis, while stressing the importance of ensuring that the rights of the local communities who conceived them are always fully respected and protected.

We hope you’ll enjoy this episode. You can find images of the projects described Julia on our Instagram @design.emergency. Please join us for future episodes of Design Emergency when we will hear from inspiring global design leaders who, like Julia, are using their knowledge and skills to work to build a better future.

Design Emergency is supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.

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Design Emergency

Julia Watson on Design and Water

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Importance of Indigenous Knowledge in Modern Design

Water as a Central Theme

Case Studies in Sustainable Water Systems

Contemporary Applications and Future Directions

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts