Keeping the lights on and the taps running: the role of an engineer in conflict

Description

An event by the Healthcare in Conflict research network.

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Speaker

Emma Houiellebecq (Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge)

Abstract

In fragile contexts, we are seeing how compounding cycles of conflict and crisis are causing the eventual degradation of critical infrastructure, often resulting in severe consequences to public health. In these contexts, what is the role of an engineer in the humanitarian sector, and how can they help to strengthen the resilience of infrastructure and essential services? In this presentation, Emma will share her experiences both from a practitioner and researcher perspective, exploring how systems-thinking approaches can be used to support decision-making in complex humanitarian crises.

About the speaker

Emma Houiellebecq is a 3rd year PhD Candidate in the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Department of Engineering. Emma’s doctoral research explores how systems thinking approaches can enable more strategic decision-making in protracted humanitarian crises, with the ultimate aim of strengthening the resilience of essential services. Prior to her PhD, Emma worked as an engineer and project manager with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other NGOs primarily in Gaza, South Sudan, and Uganda. she completed an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development and is a 2016 and 2021 Gates Cambridge Scholar.