Frederick Juan Martin
Frederick Juan Martin from Liberia is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Water and Sustainable Development in the Water Resources and Ecosystem Health track, with a Governance and Management profile.
I come from Mambah-Kaba, a district in Margibi County, north-central Liberia. I served as an intern and worked at the Environmental Conservation Club, where I planned, organized and coordinated programmes on environmental issues such as water, land, forest and biodiversity. As a Land Governance Researcher at the Liberia Land Authority, I researched the challenges and opportunities of women’s land rights and the use of smart technology to promote cultural diversity and sustainable land governance, administration and management in Liberia.
How did you hear about IHE Delft?
“I first got to know about IHE Delft on LinkedIn. Later, through my membership in the Africa Young Water Professionals e-Forum, I learned about the Orange Knowledge Scholarship Program (OKP). As a young man who is passionate about water and the environment, I wanted to apply - particularly after I learned that IHE Delft is the largest institution for water education in the world and the best place for me to achieve what I am passionate about. My study is fully funded by OKP.”
What made you choose IHE Delft?
“I find IHE Delft is the best school when it comes to water education. At IHE Delft, knowledge is assembled through practical and theoretical training, workshops, seminars, conferences, presentations and debates. This will help me grow into a suitable contender for jobs and future opportunities, and it’s why I chose IHE Delft. I am enthusiastic and determined to build on and live up to the objective of the programme. Coming here is an opportunity for me to learn and share my perspectives in the field of water and climate change – and to contribute broadly to sustainable water governance and management.
My passion for water
I have an environmental background and enjoy working to protect the environment. Water is an important component of the environment. Water sustains life and improves the health of plants, animals, and humans. My passion for water and the environment began when I was a little boy. I grew up near the Firestone Natural Rubber Company, Liberia, where I saw how industrial activity affects our environment through the discharge of effluents into our water bodies and the emission of toxic gases into the atmosphere. The rubber factory operation emits harmful gases into the atmosphere that can cause adverse effects on human health and the climate.
“We cannot be saved if we don’t have clean, safe, available, affordable, and accessible water on earth”
I discovered that many hand-dug wells, or boreholes, used by indigenous people have been contaminated. As a zealous young water leader, I want to be a driver of development and growth and help find the solution to problems like this. This is why I am here at IHE Delft today: to get all the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge required. After my study, I will return to Liberia and contribute to the water and environmental sectors.
I am passionate about water because of its importance in the well-being, cultural identification, and livelihoods of life on earth.
About the water situation in Liberia
In Liberia, industries are polluting our water bodies through direct discharges and leachate of pollutants from sewage, tailing facilities, and processing plants. Many people who live in industrial communities bathe in polluted water and drink unsafe water. At times, bathing is not possible because the water is too polluted.
Meanwhile, Liberia has 15 river basins that constitute the national drainage system with sufficient groundwater quantity for use and supply. The availability of abundant groundwater across Liberia is substantiated by the presence of drilled and hand-dug wells. However, Liberia is faced with many water management challenges, including data unavailability, climate change, and environmental degradation. There is a lack of information on water quantity and quality, on the water and climate change interface, and on the yield of boreholes. We also need more information on the delineation, characterization and the infiltration capacity of the soils, and the related spatial variability of the country’s aquifers.
“There will always be people who won’t care for water resources and their management because they don’t know how valuable and important they are for life on earth. Together we can find solutions to these challenges that are affecting our water bodies and causing global warming and severe environmental threats.”
My first week and student experience
My first week at IHE Delft included learning experiences I will never forget. I got to know new places, make new friends, meet senior students, and above all meet and interact with fascinating lecturers and staff of IHE Delft. This contributed to my ambitions and learning objectives in many different ways. For instance, I am now able to place specific knowledge of my own track and profile into a broader perspective. This enables me to understand water-related matters, challenges, and concepts. It also helps me formulate my own positions and contribute positively to group discussions and presentations.
After graduation
My ambition is to use the knowledge gained and join conscious-minded young leaders to help save our environment and develop a greater understanding of water management. Additionally, I plan to make advocacy an integral part of my work after graduation. I plan to collaborate with non-governmental organizations, governmental agencies, policymakers, and international agencies to help develop policies that will ensure a sustainable model geared towards water and sustainable development in my country in Africa, and in the world at large.
Interested?
IHE Delft offers two new Master of Science programmes: the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development and the Research MSc in Water and Sustainable Development. Furthermore, IHE Delft is involved in joint MSc Programmes offered with partner institutes.
