Waterproof

Thomas Edison once said “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” If you agree with that, you’ll love this edition of Waterproof, where we speak with people who learned to ‘Fail Forward’.  We start with Esther Shaylor of UNICEF and the WASH Failure Movement, who talks about the little jerrycan that couldn’t. Zahid Amin Shashoto of Bangladesh’s Uttaran shares the story of well-meant, high-tech water solutions that had unexpected consequences. Lindsey Schwidder of the experimental Green Village in Delft explains that sometimes you need to get wrapped up in red tape to learn how to get free of it the next time around. And Mr. Water himself, Henk Ovink, who says, like Edison, failure is about learning, even between nations.  Failing Forward...in this 11th edition of Waterproof. QUOTESEsther Shaylor – UNICEF“We really want to talk about failure. We want to talk about when things go wrong and we want to openly and freely share it so that we can learn from it.” Zahid Amin Shashoto – Uttaran “People cannot make a living. My community is primarily farmers, and if farmers doesn't have farmland, it's underwater, they go out”Lindsey Schwidder – Green Village“For us it's interesting to look at things that are new, that are not yet applied or not yet validated. And here they are also allowed to fail.” Henk Ovink – Global Commission on the Economics of Water“A lot of things go wrong before things really go right. Learning - that is exactly what failure is about.”

What if cities could float? What if we could predict floods before they happen? Or even create water from air?In the latest episode of our Waterproof podcast, we explore bold ideas and breakthrough innovations that could reshape how we live with water. From floating urban developments and digital twins that help predict floods, to new approaches to water governance and solutions that improve everyday lives.Featuring insights from:Rutger de Graaf (Blue 21) on the shift from fighting water to living on waterMary Matthews (UNDP) on why governance and policy are the real innovations we needFlorian Witsenburg (Tygron) on the role of data and digital twins in managing floodsRueben Moore (Solaq) on trust and culture in adopting new water sourcesTanya Huizer (Asian Development Bank) on how the Laundry Transformation can improve women’s livesTogether, they show how technology, governance and social innovation can turn water challenges into opportunities.

From satellites and weather stations to social media and AI – we have more data than ever to anticipate floods, droughts and extreme weather. But early warning is only effective if it reaches people in time. In this new episode of Waterproof, host Tracy Metz speaks with five experts working at the frontline of early warning systems. Together they explore how data becomes action, why trust and cooperation matter, and how early warning evolves step by step – from global technology to local impact. Featuring insights from Jurjen Wagemaker (Floodtags), Evelyn Aparicio Medrano (FutureWater), Dorien Lugt (HKV), Frank Annor (TAHMO) and Sindy Mthimkhulu (INMACOM), this episode shows why early warning is not just a technical challenge, but a human one. Listen now and discover how early warning systems can save lives and strengthen water resilience worldwide.

This edition of Waterproof is all about how modern-day science and age-old indigenous knowledge can be used to solve today’s water crises. So, not one or the other but both, fused together to come up with solutions to our common and increasing problems. Tracy spoke to four water experts from all over the world: a Maya from Mexico, a Fijian, a Sami woman from Sweden, and a native Hawaiian. They were members of an indigenous delegation to the 2025 Stockholm Water Week. And they all agree: their voices need to beheard.All this, plus amazing Lo-TEK solutions to today’s High Tech problems. Find out what they are in this edition of Waterproof: The Indigenous Voice. Our guests are: Julia Watson: landscape architect and author of the book Lo-TEK.Dr. Yolanda López Maldonado: indigenous Maya woman and founder of Indigenous Science.Anna-Kari Kroik: Stockholm-based, Sami teacher.Dr. KaiLei’a Duriano: indigenous Scientist fromHawaii.Dr. Milika Sobey: Senior Technical Adviser-CoastalEcosystems.Waterproof is the Partners for Water podcast that travels the globe sharing uplifting stories about how today’s water crises are being tackled through smart ideas, local knowledge and international partnerships. Hosted by water expert Tracy Metz, Waterproof delves into crucial water themes with local and international experts, researchers, practitioners and other water professionals.Find more information here: https://partnersforwater.nl/news/waterproof-podcast/

In this episode, we meet activists and campaigners who believe rivers and nature should have legal rights – just like people. They walk rivers, swim in urban waterways, write books, work with communities, and even take governments to court. All with one goal: ensuring clean, healthy rivers and cities where people can swim safely.Featuring:Matt Sykes – Co-Founder, Swimmable CitiesLi An Phoa – Initiator, Drinkable RiversRobert MacFarlane – AuthorHarpo ’t Hart – Artistic Director, Embassy of the North Sea

From Financing Green to Greening Finance. The difference is bigger than just syntax. So we speak with FMO, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Bank about the “secret sauce” that allows them to loan money to projects most financiers would consider too risky. Projects like Taprobane Seafood in Sri Lanka, which FMO financed, even after 30 years of political instability. So why did they do it?We also speak with ABN AMRO Bank Chief economist Sandra Phlippen and Netherlands Water Ambassador Meike van Ginneken about what needs to happen to get banks and funds to be less risk averse when it comes to “greening” their finance. That’s coming up in this sixth episode of Waterproof.

Water, biodiversity and food: it’s Nature’s Recipe. But how do you keep these important drivers balanced, healthy, profitable and resilient? And what do jaguars and strawberries have to do with it?This episode of Waterproof tells stories all about how water, biodiversity and food meet. Did you know that 70% of the world’s freshwater is used for food production? And that food production causes 70% of biodiversity loss. So, this show is about how scientists, engineers, officials, experts and indigenous people come together to work on solving these profound problems. So, we speak with guests in Ghana, Colombia, Mexico and the Netherlands who show the world CAN be more sustainable, or in the case of the berry growers in Jalisco State, Mexico, a sweeter and juicier place.

This episode of Waterproof is all about breaking the Build-Neglect-Repair Cycle. As we have called it: Build Neglect Repair Repeat. With the best intentions, countries in the global north often spend a bundle of money building something that people in developing countries need, or that the donor thinks they need. Then the locals can't maintain it, or can’t afford to, or they don't know how. It falls apart, and the donor either has to come back to repair it - or doesn’t come back at all. It’s a vicious circle . So we travel to Ethiopia, Indonesia, Mozambique and the city of Chennai in India, to speak with people who are doing their best to break this cycle.

Once upon a time, Europeans would turn up in emerging countries with mega-infrastructure projects meant to help people. They were well-meaning, but often deaf to what the local populations wanted or needed. Times have changed and, as you’ll hear in this episode of Waterproof, more and more, the locals run the show! So, we bike through Amsterdam, where gardens and flood prevention measures are put in by the city and then maintained by Amsterdammers. In Ghana, water projects are consulting village elders to make sure the plans align with their needs - and maybe even benefit from their local knowledge. And as a massive, but slow new Delta Plan gets underway to control flooding in Bangladesh, we look into small-scale projects implemented by locals that have benefits for their people right now. Locals in the Lead!

This second episode of Waterproof is all about “The Salty Intruder”.  All over the world, arable land is becoming more and more saline, threatening farmers’ livelihoods and our food security. But there are smart, innovative people looking for solutions - and the Dutch are helping, for example with a new Virtual Reality game to teach farmers to plant salt tolerant crops.  In Egypt, where the Nile delta is getting saltier, farmers like Tariq el Arini are switching from water-intensive rice to saline loving potatoes.  And Vietnam’s ‘Sokfarm’ has moved from coconut milk, ruined by salt, to coconut sugar, made from the sap of the flower. Even Dutch farmers are struggling to come to terms with the intruder. But then we meet Hans Elenbaas, who has harvested salty sea vegetables his whole life! And he loves it. WATERPROOF ONLINE PARTNERS FOR WATER  KATE NEGACZ PETER PRINS/SALTA SOKFARM VIETNAM A VIDEO ABOUT SOKFARM HANS ELENBAAS/ZEEKRAAL.NL

For centuries, the Dutch have been good at keeping the water out using increasingly engineered structures of concrete and steel like the Delta Works. And for years, they’ve exported that technology too.  But times are changing. Macho dikes keep the water out, but they’re terrible for nature and biodiversity. The Dutch are - slowly - discovering that you can work with nature rather than against it. It’s called Nature Based Solutions and they work - in the Netherlands, in Ghana, basically everywhere. And that is why this week’s show is called: Let Nature Do It! We speak with Bregje van Wesenbeeck, who is experimenting with willows and mangroves to see how they stand up to storms. Carel Nobbe of the Blue Deal says: first you have to make sure the people you’re working with are on board. Wetlands ecologist Emmanuel Nii Attram Taye from Ghana is working to save the mangrove forests that protect the coast. For the Netherlands, says Alex Hekman of NL2120, it’s both: Nature-based Solutions are essential, but always in combination with hard infrastructure.  PARTNERS FOR WATER  WATERPROOF ONLINE BREGJE VAN WESENBEECK & DELTARES CAREL NOBBE AND THE BLUE DEAL EMMANUEL NII ATTRAM TAYE AND THE CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION RESEARCHALEX HEKMAN AND NL2020

Waterproof is the six-part Partners for Water podcast that travels the globe sharing uplifting stories about how today’s water crises are being tackled through smart ideas, local knowledge and international partnerships. Hosted by water expert Tracy Metz, Waterproof delves into six crucial water themes with local and international experts, researchers, practitioners and other water professionals. Following each episode, listeners can participate in live meetups with other water professionals to go deeper into the themes. Listen to the trailer and discover what the “Waterproof” podcast is all about.