OWN Annual Lecture
The Oxford Water Network closed its Hilary Term events series on a high note with an inspiring Annual Lecture focused on water inequalities and insecurity. This event brought together three distinguished speakers—Dr. Sonia Hoque, Professor Katie Meehan, and Indira Bose—who shared their expertise on the challenges of water access, governance, and justice across both the Global South and Global North.
The Annual Lecture featured three insightful presentations, each offering a unique perspective on water justice and security:
Professor Katie Meehan
A political ecologist and environmental geographer, Professor Meehan’s research focuses on water governance, environmental justice, and climate change adaptation. She is co-Director of King’s Water Centre and has authored key works, including Race, Nature and the Environment (Routledge, 2025) and Water: A Critical Introduction (Wiley-Blackwell, 2023). Her presentation highlighted governance challenges and policy responses to water inequality, particularly in urban environments.
Indira Bose
A Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Indira Bose specializes in the interconnections between water security, food security, and health, particularly in the context of climate change. Her research employs epidemiological and qualitative methods, with a focus on Gambia and Mexico. During the lecture, she explored how climate change and governance failures exacerbate inequalities in access to safe water and nutrition, impacting the most vulnerable communities.
Dr. Sonia Hoque
An environmental social scientist at the University of Oxford, Dr. Hoque investigates institutional and socio-spatial inequalities in water risks across Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia. Her upcoming book, The Water Diaries: Living with the Global Water Crisis in Bangladesh and Kenya (Cambridge University Press, 2025), presents year-long household accounts of daily water struggles and choices. In her talk, she emphasized the lived realities of water insecurity and the need for policy solutions that address inequalities at the local level.
The event sparked a dynamic and engaging discussion, with audience members raising critical questions about policy responses, intersectional inequalities, and strategies for improving water governance. It was fantastic to see such an interactive and thought-provoking conversation, reinforcing the importance of bridging research, policy, and practice to address these pressing global challenges.
As we wrap up Hilary Term, we want to extend a huge thank you to our speakers and everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion. Your insights and engagement are what make the Oxford Water Network such a vibrant community!
Stay tuned for more events in Trinity Term—exciting discussions and networking opportunities are on the way!
And to all MSc students heading to the Ebro Basin —we wish you a productive and insightful trip!
