Can Water Shape Our Future?

Intelligence Squared

News, Society & Culture, News Commentary, Arts

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 February 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today’s episode, the second in our series in partnership with WaterAid, journalist and author Coco Khan speaks to Helen Rumford, WaterAid’s Lead Policy Analyst for Climate Policy and Campaigns and Vera Kloettschen, WaterAid’s Climate and Environment Lead. Helen and Vera share their experience, expertise and stories to explore why clean water, the blue thread that connects us all, is fundamental to everyday wellbeing, long-term prosperity and securing climate justice. They discuss the practical ways a sustainable, water-secure future is already being built, alongside the challenges that remain. Because resilient water systems aren’t just pipes and pumps – they’re people, ecosystems, and trust. As we enter a new year, the months ahead can feel long and uncertain. Yet for many of us, one thing we rarely have to think about is the clean water flowing from our taps. That isn’t the case for everyone, but it could be. Just £5 a month over a year can buy 5 standpipe taps so children like Nesteline, and her whole community, can have clean water for years to come. Please donate £5 a month today and help us to work alongside communities to bring clean water to everyone, everywhere. Visit wateraid.org/uk/intelligence to donate and find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where Great Minds meet.
0:07.0	I'm Cocoa Khan, journalist, author and host of Podsave the UK.
0:11.2	And on today's episode, in partnership with Water Aid,
0:14.8	we're celebrating the world's most vital resource,
0:17.7	the starting point for health, education, livelihoods and the environment.
0:21.6	Water AIDS mission is based on the fact that clean water is the most powerful way to build
0:27.6	a fairer, more sustainable future, and since 1981 they have reached 30 million people, because
0:33.6	when water flows, so does opportunity.
0:36.6	In the second episode of our two-part series, we dig into what it takes to build climate
0:41.4	resilient water systems, from on-the-ground initiatives to the policies needed to create a
0:46.3	more equitable, water-secure future for everyone.
0:49.6	To help unpack this, I'm joined by two guests.
0:52.9	First up is Helen Rumpford, WaterAids lead policy
0:55.7	analyst for climate policy and campaigns. She focuses on inclusive sustainable change and climate
1:01.5	justice. I'm also joined by Vera Klochin, WaterAIDS climate and environment lead, who brings
1:07.5	over a decade of experience working on climate resilient water systems around the world.
1:12.9	Welcome, Helen and Vera.
1:14.9	Thanks. Thanks for having us. Great to be here.
1:17.5	When I was thinking about interviewing you guys today, my mind was reminded of that phrase of water always finds the lowest point.
1:24.1	And so people talk about it a lot on Instagram in the wellness spaces, in this idea that
1:28.7	we retreat to our most basic needs. We retreat to our most low selves at times of struggle and
1:35.5	stress. And actually when we're thinking about water, we have to think about struggle and
	...

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