Engineers Australia is proud to announce that 2011 is the Year of Humanitarian Engineering – a year in which we will recognise the role of engineering in improving quality of life and disaster recovery.

Our goal is to promote the significance and importance of humanitarian engineering to both the engineering profession and wider community so that humanitarian engineering receives the necessary support in Australia and abroad – and continues to make a difference.

Register your interest to receive news and updates on the year ahead.

• Great work is being done

  Humanitarian engineers already do amazing work across the globe. But there’s still much more that needs to be done.

  Right now, 2.6 billion people lack basic sanitation. One quarter of the world’s population don’t have access to electricity. 1.1 billion people have inadequate access to water. These are things that many of us take for granted.

  Source: http://www.globalissues.org

• Imagine if we didn’t rise to the challenge

  Fortunately, many Australian companies and not-for-profit organisations already work tirelessly to improve conditions for disadvantaged communities.

  Throughout 2011, we will showcase humanitarian engineering stories – and hopefully inspire more people to get involved.

• An engineer’s role

  Engineers play a huge role in improving the quality of life of people beset by disadvantage as well as helping communities recover from floods, earthquakes and other disasters as quickly as possible.

  From the delivery of clean water and power, to the design of sanitation services and infrastructure, engineers’ ingenuity helps solve many problems facing communities.

  Some of the key areas of focus as a profession include: water supply, sanitation, energy, waste disposal, transportation, communications and support for disabled people.

• What we will do

  In 2011, we will demonstrate the importance of engineering in resolving humanitarian issues by showcasing the many projects that have made a difference to disadvantaged communities. We will do this in a number of ways:

  Education

  • Educate engineering teams about the significance of the positive impact that can be made through humanitarian engineering.
  • Build awareness around the enormous local and international needs for humanitarian relief, and the many ways that engineers can make a difference.
  • Show people why they should be involved and what they need to know to make a positive difference.

  Engagement

  • The focus here is on how people can get involved.
  • Work closely with individuals and humanitarian groups such as Engineers Without Borders and RedR to understand the work that has been done.
  • Increase the number of registered volunteers from engineering individuals, funded projects or sponsorship commitments by engineering firms.

  Celebration

  • Showcase the positive contribution that humanitarian engineering makes towards meaningful and lasting community development and disaster relief.