Water is an ancient, living thing. It has cycled through the atmosphere, soil, oceans, and bodies for billions of years – shaping the land, creating habitats, and sustaining life. As a crucial resource covering over 70% of the planet’s surface, water is at the centre of every community, holding social, economic, and cultural importance. Extreme shifts in water patterns, from floods to droughts, disrupt an ecosystem’s delicate balance and impact the interconnected relationships among all forms of life. Yet, water remains adaptable and resilient. Despite growing threats posed by pollution, misuse, and climate change, researchers remain committed to discovering solutions to safeguard our marine, freshwater, and urban water systems. 

Living Water: 75 years of water research at UNSW connects water research across various environments and disciplines. From seagrass reforestation to aquafarming, hydrology to art, this research speaks to the multitude of ways water shapes existence and impacts survival. By drawing together breakthrough studies, technological innovations, and community engagement efforts, we gain insight into how scientists, engineers, artists, and researchers address complex challenges related to the stewardship of the planet’s water systems. Living Water highlights significant contributions made by UNSW toward water governance and security, the support of healthy oceans and resilient coastlines, ensuring safe and equitable access to water, and sharing the knowledge we need to protect this vital resource into the future.

In celebration of UNSW's 75th anniversary, this exhibition is a collaboration between UNSW Library and UNSW Global Water Institute with funding support from the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Law & Justice, Faculty of Science, and UNSW Library.

Header Image: Operation Crayweed. Photographer: John Turnbull.

Featured research: 
75 years of hydrology - School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Engineering)
Accounting for outside options in discrete choice models: An application to commercial fishing effort - School of Economics (Business)
Application of Membrane Capacitive Deionisation (MCDI) to Desalination of Brackish Groundwaters in a Remote Community in Central Australia - School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications (Engineering)
CoastSnap - School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Engineering)
Estimating the Effectiveness of Forest Protection using Regression Discontinuity - School of Economics (Business)
Freshwater turtle habitat, dietary and flow requirements - School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Science)
Improving International Law Regulation of Maritime Autonomous Vessels - School of Global and Public Law (Law & Justice)
Improving technologies for inland aquaculture in Papua New Guinea - School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Science)
Living Seawalls - School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Science)
The microscopic world of marine sponges - School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Science)
National Groundwater Recharge Observing System - School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Science), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Engineering), School of Humanities & Languages (Arts, Design & Architecture)
Ngapa Yaan (Murrawarri) Niibi Aanmitaagzi (Northern Cree) - School of Arts & Media (Arts, Design & Architecture)
Ocean Accounting: Why Numbers Tell a Deeper Story - School of Global and Public Law (Law & Justice)
Operation Crayweed - School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Science)
Surveying waterbird colonies with a drone - School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Science)
Restoring endangered Posidonia australis seagrass meadows in NSW - School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Science)
Rippon Lea Water Story - School of Humanities & Languages (Arts, Design & Architecture)
The River Ends as the Ocean - School of Arts & Media (Arts, Design & Architecture)

Accessibility: UNSW Main Library, Law Library, and Paddington Library are wheelchair accessible. Large-text artwork labels are available.