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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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225 Matters Great and Personal