YWPDK Profile August 2015

This is Gudny Kristin Trygvasdottir Bredtoft, our YWPDK profile for August. Gudny is an engineer working with Urban Water Management and Climate Change Adoptation at Rambøll. Gudny is also co-founder of YWPDK and was Treasurer in the CCSC from 2014 – 2015.

GKTB

What is your current work title and what is your background/degree?

I hold a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark. Since I finished my studies in 2013 I have been working with Urban Water Management and Climate Change Adaptation at Rambøll.

What is your motivation for working with water?

Early on in my studies at DTU it became clear to me that I wanted to focus on water in my studies and further career. It is such a fundamental resource and that makes working with it very inspiring.

What are your main interests within this field?

My interests within the field are quite broad. During my studies I focused on water resources, ground water and large scale hydrology. Alongside my studies, I held a student job at a wastewater treatment plant, broadening my horizon and giving me insight to the processes and work that went on there. Since my graduation I have been working with urban water management and enjoy that immensely. Overall I am just fascinated with water and the challenges that we face when there is too little or too much of this valuable resource. 

You were part of starting up YWPDK, what was your motivation for starting the network?

After leaving DTU, I felt more isolated than I had during my studies. I was thrilled when my colleague Trine Stausgaard Munk broached the subject of YWP and was eager to be part of creating the network. Like Trine, I felt the need for a platform where we, the young people in the water sector, could share our knowledge and experiences. We wanted to create a network that could give young water professionals an opportunity to gain a foothold in the water industry and become part of a larger international network. Establish a place where we could work together across the different fields of the water sector and stimulate new approaches and alternative solutions to the complex issues of water management. 

How was your experience, being part of the YWPDK CCSC?

I learned incredibly much during my time in the CCSC, gaining both technical knowledge and quite a bit of practical experience. It was a very rewarding experience; I got to work with a lot of interesting and inspiring people and got to take part in establishing a network that proved to be needed. It has been great to watch YWPDK grow and I am very proud to have been one of the instigators of the network. 

What are your thoughts on the challenges that we, as young water professionals, face in the coming years?

The complexity of water related issues calls for integrated solutions. I feel that YWP could serve as a step in the development of a holistic interdisciplinary approach to water management. By connecting actors across the different fields of the water sector we can create a space where we can think of alternative solutions and new approaches to the problems that we as young water professionals face.