ENG5001: Report on Water Shortage in Australia Reflection

This report provides a comprehensive reflection on the water shortage crisis in Australia. It begins with an introduction outlining the importance of water and the author's focus on analyzing the problem through the lens of engineering competencies and personal skills. The report then examines the climate of Australia, highlighting its arid nature, and presents statistics on water usage and availability. It explores the causes of water shortage, including increased human population, urbanization, industrialization, pollution, climate change, wastage, deforestation, and mismanagement of water resources. The impacts of water scarcity are discussed, followed by a detailed examination of potential solutions, such as education and awareness, pollution prevention, greywater usage, rainwater harvesting, conservation of water catchment areas, efficient systems, improved water supply systems, technology and R&D, and policy implementation. The report concludes by emphasizing the urgency of addressing the water shortage problem and the importance of implementing strategic measures to ensure sustainable water management in Australia.

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 1
REFLECTION ON WATER SHORTAGE IN AUSTRALIA
Name
Course
Professor
University
City/state
Date

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 2
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................3
2. Area of focus......................................................................................................................................3
3. Climate of Australia..........................................................................................................................4
4. Water shortage in Australia..............................................................................................................7
5. Causes of water shortage...................................................................................................................9
5.1. Increased human population.....................................................................................................9
5.2. Urbanization.............................................................................................................................10
5.3. Industrialization.......................................................................................................................11
5.4. Pollution...................................................................................................................................12
5.5. Climate change.........................................................................................................................13
5.6. Wastage....................................................................................................................................13
5.7. Deforestation............................................................................................................................14
5.8. Mismanagement of water resources.......................................................................................14
6. Water shortage impacts..................................................................................................................15
7. Solutions to water supply requirements.........................................................................................15
7.1. Education and awareness........................................................................................................16
7.2. Prevent pollution......................................................................................................................16
7.3. Use of greywater......................................................................................................................17
7.4. Rainwater harvesting..............................................................................................................17
7.5. Conserve water catchment areas............................................................................................17
7.6. Use of water efficient systems and practices..........................................................................18
7.7. Improve water supply systems................................................................................................18
7.8. Technology and research and development (R&D)..............................................................18
7.9. Policies......................................................................................................................................19
8. Conclusion........................................................................................................................................19
References................................................................................................................................................22

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 3
1. Introduction
My focus in this assignment is on the assessment of personal and self-management skills in
relation to the context of the course – global change and water shortage impacts on engineering
activities between now and 2050. These skills are very essential in engineers’ day-to-day
activities because they enhance their actions and behaviour (Steyn & van Staden, 2018), and
ethical conduct and integrity. I will complete this assignment through reflection on various
achievements I have made so far in relation to engineering competencies, personal skills,
attributes, qualities and research effectiveness. My main goal in this assignment is to
demonstrate the application of engineering competencies and skills I have acquired so far in
analyzing and solving water shortage problem in the area of focus. I will analyze the water
shortage problem in Australia so as to demonstrate the importance of engineering competencies I
have learned and acquired so far in this course.
Water is a very essential natural resource for the existence of human beings, animals and
plants. The resource, which is a basic need, is so important that there cannot be life without
water. It is estimated that 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water (Williams, 2014).
However, only about 3% of this water is freshwater (Global Environment Facility, 2015). This
has made inadequate supply of potable water to be a global problem that should be solved
through combination of engineering solutions and administrative solutions. Approximately one-
sixth of human population (over 1 billion people) worldwide lacks access to potable water and
over two million people die annually from waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and
diarrhea. By 2025, it is projected that one-third of global human population will be facing
chronic and severe water shortages (World Water Council, (n.d.)). These are life-threatening
statistics and projections that should be taken with the seriousness they deserve.

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2. Area of focus
The interest focus I have selected for this paper is water supply in Australia. Australia is the
smallest continent on earth with an area of 7,741,220 km2 out of which 7,682,300 km2 is
occupied by land and 58,920km2 is occupied by water. This means that only 0.76% of Australia
is covered by water. The human population of Australia is approximately 25.1 million,
accounting for 0.33% of the world’s population of about 7.61 billion people. Based on these
statistics of total population, urban population and water coverage, it seems fascinating to
investigate water supply and water shortage in Australia. This investigation will provide useful
information that can be used to solve water shortage problem in Australia and other countries in
the world. Water supply is the delivery or provision of water by individuals, community
endeavors, commercial companies or public utilities to different consumers, such as households,
institutions, business premises, farms or industries. This paper focuses on provision or supply of
water by the public utilities. A typical water supply system comprises of a drainage basic, raw
water collection point, water purification or treatment facilities, water storage facilities, extra
water pressurizing components, distribution system comprising of a pipe network, and sewer
connections. These components can be categorized into: source of water supply, treatment or
processing of the water, and distribution, transportation or delivery of the water to end
consumers.
3. Climate of Australia
Based on Koppen-Geiger classification, the climate of Australia can be divided into six climate
zones: Aw climate, BSh climate, BWh climate, Cf climate, Cfb climate, Cfa climate and Csb
climate. Aw climate (savannah or tropical dry and wet climate) is experienced in the northern
coastal parts of Australia and is characterized by a hot tropical climate where temperatures

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exceed 18°C during all months, a dry winter and driest month receiving rainfall of less than 60
mm. BSh climate (hot semi-arid climate) is experienced in more inland areas and those areas that
are close to the west coast of Australia. These areas have a dryer subtropical climate with an
annual average temperature exceeding 18°C. BWh climate (hot desert climate) is experienced in
regions within central Australia. These regions are the driest and have an annual average
temperature exceeding 18°C. Cf climate is experienced in the southeastern coastal parts of
Australia whereas southern areas of the country have a cooler climate. Cfb climate (temperate
oceanic climate) is experienced in areas near Melbourne. Some of the characteristics of this
climate are as follows: warmest month has an average temperature of below 22°C, at least four
months have an average temperature of above 10°C, and the temperatures of the coldest month
ranges between -3°C and 18°C. The warmer Cfa climate (humid subtropical climate) is
experienced in areas around Brisbane. The warmest month of this climate has an average
temperature of 22°C. Csb climate (warm-summer Mediterranean climate) is experienced in
southwest coast of Australia. This climate is characterized by a dry summer, average temperature
of the warmest month is below 22°C, the temperature of coldest month ranges between -3°C and
18°C and at least four months have average temperature of over 10°C (WeatherOnline, 2019).
Figure 1 below shows the climate zones of Australia. The climate of the country is
largely arid, which is classified as semi-desert or desert, except in the country’s extreme north
area where the climate is tropical (the region experiences a dry and rainy season) and also on the
country’s southern coast areas where the climate is more temperature, Mediterranean or oceanic.

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Figure 1: Climate zones of Australia (Go Study Australia Pty Ltd, 2019)
As presented in Figure 2 below, Australia receives less precipitation.
Figure 2: Precipitation of Australia (Climatestotravel.com, 2019)

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Tropical climate is non-arid climate with all twelve months having mean temperatures of
above 18°C. Subtropical climate is cool-mild winters and hot-humid summers with evenly
distributed precipitation and relatively high temperatures throughout the year. Dry Mediterranean
climate – cool-mild winters and dry hot/warm summers with winter temperatures ranging from
30-65°C and average summer temperature of 50°C. Desert climate – hot dry climate with winter
temperatures ranging between 20-30° and summer temperatures ranging between 35-40°C and
annual rainfall of below 250 mm. Temperate climate is climate with average annual
temperatures.
4. Water shortage in Australia
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth with approximately 70% of the land being
arid. Despite this, Australia is one of the countries with the highest per capita water use in the
world. The amount of rainwater flowing into Australian rivers is very low – only 12% on
average, compared to 52% and 39% in North America and Europe, respectively (McCormick,
2011). The per capita water use in Australia ranges between 100 liters and 900 liters per day,
with the average daily per capita water use being 340 liters. But considering all other uses,
including non-domestic water uses, Australia uses about 25 teralitres (TL) of water every year.
Out of this, approximately 20 TL of water is sourced from surface water while the remaining 5
TL is sourced from groundwater. The top water uses in Australia are agriculture, household,
manufacturing, mining, electricity & gas production, and factory & fishing. Considering the
rapidly increasing population, urbanization, industrialization and climate change, the Australian
annual water use in 2050 can be estimated as follows:

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A=B ( 1+ r
100 )
r
; Where A = estimated water use in 2050, B = estimated current water use, r =
estimated annual rate of increase in water use, and t = number of years from 2019 to 2050
Let r be 2%
A=25 TL (1+ 2
100 )31
=46.2TL
Therefore it is projected that Australia’s annual water use in 2050 will be 46.2 TL. Figure 3 and
4 below shows Annual mean rainfall of Australia from 1900 to 2018 and monthly mean rainfall
for Australia, respectively.
Figure 3: Annual mean rainfall for Australia 1900-2018 (Australian Bureau of Meteorology,
2019)

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Figure 4: Monthly mean rainfall for Australia (Australian Bureau of Meteorology, 2019)
Based on the graphs in Figure 3 and 4 above, Australia receives less rainfall hence water
availability and supply in the country is limited. From the ongoing population growth, human
and development activities and climate change, water supply and storage for most cities will
continue dropping thus escalating water crisis in the country (Bureau of Meteorology, 2019);
(Green Planet Plumbing, 2015). Therefore water shortage or crisis in Australia will be worse
than it is today unless strategic measures are deliberately taken as soon as possible to reverse the
situation.
5. Causes of water shortage
Water scarcity is basically an imbalance between water supply and water demand. It occurs
when water demand is greater than water supply. This is a very common and serious problem in
many parts of the world today (Australia included) and it is projected to worsen if appropriate

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 10
measures are not put in place to reverse the situation. Below are some of the causes of water
shortage in Australia.
5.1. Increased human population
Human population has more than doubled over the last five decades. This rapid growth of
human population has put a lot of stress on water resources. It is also important to note that the
effect of human population on water shortage is not just based on the number of humans and
how they use water individually but also the increased industrialization and economic
development that accompanies rapid human population growth. For example, as human
population increases, more pressure is also put on available freshwater via production of energy
and other commodities that people need such as food, clothes, buildings and roads, among
others. In addition to overexploitation or depletion of available water, increased human
population has also changed water ecosystems across the world and led to huge loss of
biodiversity (Kummu, et al., 2016). Many river basins today have been encroached by humans,
resulting to a decrease in the volume of water available for human consumption.
5.2. Urbanization
Increased urbanization is another major cause of water shortage in Australia that cannot be
overemphasized (Wright, 2017). Global urban population has been increasing rapidly over the
past decades and this is putting a lot of pressure on water supply in urban areas. In 1950,
approximately 30% of global population was living in cities. It is estimated that by 2050, this
population will have increased to nearly 70% (TheWaterGeeks.com, 2019). There are millions of
people migrating from rural areas or other parts of the world to major Australian cities. This has
resulted to rapid increase of population and overall growth of Australian cities. As of 2019,
approximately 90.1% of Australian population is urban (Worldometers, 2019), which shows the

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large magnitude of urbanization on water shortage in the country. The estimated urban
population of Australia’s largest cities is as follows: Sydney – 5.23 million Melbourne – 4.94
million, Brisbane – 2.46 million, Perth – 2.06 million, Adelaide – 1.35 million, Gold Coast –
679,127, Newcastle – 486,704, Canberra – 457,563, Sunshine Coast – 333,436 and Wollongong
– 302,739. By 2050, it is estimated that the population of Australia will be approximately 37.5
million people (as shown in Figure 5 below), out of which 35.4 million people (94.4%) will be
urban population.
Figure 5: Australian population projections (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018)
As cities continue to grow, they consume a lot of water. With time, available water
resources get depleted or inadequate to meet the rapidly increasing water demand, which results
to water shortage. Another factor that leads to water shortage in cities is overreliance on limited
water sources. Most cities have one or two water sources – usually dams or oceans. Rarely do
people in cities fetch water directly from water bodies such as rivers, streams, lakes, etc. This is

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due to lack of these water bodies within a reasonable distance or contamination of the available
water bodies by the city residents themselves or development activities taking place in these
cities. The only option that remains is to rely on municipal water supply, which usually lacks the
capacity to meet the high water demand of increasing urban population.
5.3. Industrialization
Industrialization refers to wide scale development of industries. Australia is a country that is
less dependent on agricultural production and more dependent on the manufacturing of goods.
This manufacturing of goods, which is known as industrialization, is done by assembly lines and
mechanized mass production. Australia is an industrialized country considering that
manufacturing sector contributes about 6% of the country’s GDP (Lang'at, 2018). This shows
that there are numerous manufacturing activities in the country. There are two main ways in
which industrialization contributes to water shortage. First and foremost, industrialization
processes require or consume a lot of water. The water is used in running large and water
intensive machines in factories and industries, cleaning these machines and by the workers in
these factories or industries (Khoso, et al., 2015). A substantial percentage of this water is also
wastage through misuse/overuse and leakages. These two causes water shortage due to overuse
and wastage. The second way in which industrialization causes water shortage is through
pollution of water and air. In most cases, toxic industrial wastes get deposited in water bodies
(Inyinbor, et al., 2018), making it unfit for human consumption and resulting to water shortage
(Pullanikkatil & Urama, 2011). The industries or factories also emit large volumes of greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere that contribute to global warming and climate change (Ebenstein,
2012), which contributes to water shortage (Mgbemene, et al., 2016).

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5.4. Pollution
Pollution is another major cause of water scarcity both in cities and rural areas. Pollution
causes water shortage in cities when wastes from industries, factories, business premises,
commercial offices, institutions and residential areas get deposited directly into water bodies
prior to treatment. In rural areas, this usually happens when fecal matter from homes and
chemicals used in farmlands are washed away by surface runoff and get deposited into water
bodies. In both cases, the water in the affected water bodies become unfit for human
consumption, which results to water shortage. Oil spillage especially in oceans and seas also
contributes to water shortage because it contaminates water and makes it unfit for human
consumption. Some of the pollutants on the earth’s surface may also leach into underground
aquifers thus contaminating underground water.
5.5. Climate change
Climate change is inevitable and its impacts are being felt in every part of the world. This
phenomenon is mainly caused by human activities that continue to pump greenhouse gas
emissions into the atmosphere. As a result, weather and water patterns are constantly changing.
Droughts and floods have become more common in many places (including those that rarely
experienced them before), snow packs and glaciers are gradually disappearing in several parts of
the world, and temperatures are soaring resulting to high evaporation rates from water bodies
that reduce water levels or even leave some of them dry. According to statistics, 2018 was
Australia’s third-warmest year ever, with the country’s annual mean temperature exceeding the
average annual temperature by 1.14°C (Australian Bureau of Meteorology, 2019). Additionally,
2018 recorded the second-warmest annual mean maximum temperature of the country,
exceeding the average value by 1.55°C. The high temperatures have also increased cooling water

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 14
needs in buildings. Australia has become warmer than never before and several parts of the
country are also exposed to river flood risk. When flood even occurs, water infrastructure gets
destroyed or carried away, which worsens water supply in the region. All these changes are
affecting availability of freshwater for various uses including ecosystems, energy production,
agriculture, domestic use and engineering activities.
5.6. Wastage
Injudicious use of water is another key cause of water shortage. Millions of gallons of water
are wasted every day in homes, schools, hospitals, farms, offices, factories and industries. People
are using water inefficient fixtures, such as sinks and showers, in homes; employing production
machines and practices that consume a lot of water; practice farming methods that waste large
volumes of water; or wasting water in other ways without bothering its impacts on other people
or future water supply. Besides overusing water, misuse or mismanagement of water also leads
to water wastage. For example, some people occasionally leave taps running at times when they
are not fetching water. All these wastages contribute significantly to water shortage in Australia
and other parts of the world.
5.7. Deforestation
Deforestation is another major cause of water shortage in Australia. People are continuously
destroying forests and other catchment areas to pave way for settlement and other development
activities such as farming, industrial activities, construction of roads and buildings, etc. This
problem is mainly contributed by the rapid population increase. When these catchment areas get
destroyed, the affected areas do not receive enough water, which results to water shortage.

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5.8. Mismanagement of water resources
Water mismanagement also causes water shortage because it leaves people to decide how,
when and where to use water. It is very unfortunate that some people do not see the need to
conserve water catchment areas or use water appropriately. Such people tend to misuse, overuse
or waste water an even destroy water catchment areas because they do see that their current
actions will cause water shortage in the near feature. This problem is also contributed by lack of
appropriate government policies to monitor and regulate water use. For example, the reason why
a lot of water is wasted in irrigation activities is because there are no policies restricting the type
of irrigation systems that should be used or farming practices that should be adopted. These
leaves people to ultimately decide how to use water, which usually results to wastage and misuse
of water. Another example is lack of policies that discourage companies from relying on
municipal water supply and promote reliance on rainwater harvesting systems or water recycling
and reuse. A significant percentage of water in Australian cities is also lost due to leakage or
poor maintenance of municipal water supply systems. All these mismanagement of water
resources cause water shortage.
6. Water shortage impacts
Water shortage has significant social economic and environmental impacts. These impacts in
turn affect the engineering field, both directly and indirectly. The general effects of water
shortage include: poor health (Tarrass & Benjelloun, 2011), hunger or food shortages
(Seametrics, 2018), poverty due to economic losses, high operating costs, habitat loss,
ecosystems destruction, and disappearance of wetlands, among others (Winchester, et al., 2018).
There are numerous ways in which water shortage affects engineering field. Some of these
include the following: it reduces the workforce available in the affected area due to hunger and

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 16
poor health forcing engineers to outsource labour at a higher cost; it minimizes availability of
materials such as wood or timber that is needed for various construction works; it makes other
necessary resources for engineering projects or activities such as electricity not easily available;
it increases project costs because of high water and electricity prices and outsourcing of labour
and materials; and it causes project delays due to unavailability of water which forces the project
team to spend a lot of time searching for water.
7. Solutions to water supply requirements
All is not lost yet and the water shortage problem in Australia can be solved. As mentioned
before, this problem can be resolved through a combination of engineering solutions and
administrative solutions. Some of the strategies that can help to sole the water shortage problem
include the following:
7.1. Education and awareness
People need to be educated on how they can help to reduce water shortage. This requires
collaboration and cooperation of government agencies, private companies, non-governmental
organizations and not-for-profit agencies. Awareness companies should focus on educating
people to understand the water shortage crisis and its current and future impacts, how people are
contributing to this problem, how they can help to solve it (water saving tips) and the benefits of
water conservation (Circle of Blue, 2010). The education should focus on developing a water
saving culture and a change in water consumption lifestyle among Australian residents and
visitors. This education can help people and companies to start saving water, conserve water
catchment areas, prevent misuse or overuse of water, adopt water saving agricultural practices
and use water efficient fixtures and production methods (Hadadin, et al., 2010). Engineers can

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 17
come up with effective education and awareness campaign materials that can be used for this
purpose.
7.2. Prevent pollution
Air and water pollution needs to be prevented through a wide range of ways. Some of the
techniques that can be used include: stop dumping untreated industrial wastes into water bodies,
adopt better farming practices, replace farming chemicals with natural alternatives, set
greenhouse gases limits that industries should release into the atmosphere, improve water
treatment infrastructure, and constantly monitor pollutants released into water and the
atmosphere. This requires integrated climate change mitigation measures. Engineers have a role
to play in designing systems that will minimize pollution, and monitor and control air and water
pollution.
7.3. Use of greywater
Water recycling and reuse play a key role in solving water shortage problem in any part of
the world (Sorensen, 2017). Greywater refers to domestically used water that has less organic
contaminants. It includes water used for dishwashing, laundry, from cooking, baths and showers.
This water can be lightly treated and reused for irrigation, radiant heating, toilet flushing,
cleaning, gardening, landscaping, etc. Engineers have to design buildings and other systems that
makes it easy to recycle and reuse greywater in homes, offices, industries and other institutions.
7.4. Rainwater harvesting
This is another essential strategy to solve water shortage crisis. Australia can harness
significant amount of rainwater during the months of October to March and store it for later use.
There is need to improve rainwater harvesting infrastructure in the country and help people
understand its benefits and provide financial and technical assistance where necessary. The

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 18
government should also make it mandatory for individuals, institutions and companies to have
rainwater harvesting systems. One way to achieve this is to make it mandatory for all new
buildings to have a rainwater harvesting system. Therefore engineers should design versatile and
efficient rainwater harvesting systems that can suit varied needs of people.
7.5. Conserve water catchment areas
The government should also take the responsibility of protecting water catchment areas (such
as Blue Mountains, Upper Nepean, Warragamba, Woronora and Shoalhaven in Sydney) and
even create more. There should be policies to promote protection of catchment areas such as
forests, mountains and hills. Human activities should not be allowed to destroy catchment areas.
The government should also spearhead planting of more trees across the country. This can be
achieved through collaboration of relevant government agencies, landholders, private companies
and the general public. Engineers can help in developing effective water catchment conservation
strategies.
7.6. Use of water efficient systems and practices
Another important strategy of solving water shortage problem is using water efficient
fixtures, equipment, systems and adopting water efficient practices or methods of production –
those that use less water (Deng & Zhao, 2015). This includes use of water efficient irrigation or
farming methods, showers, sinks, taps, manufacturing technologies, construction methods,
transport systems, etc. Engineers have a role in designing these water efficient systems and the
government should made their use compulsory.
7.7. Improve water supply systems
A significant percentage of water in Australia is also lost through the water supply systems.
The water shortage problem can be solved by ensuring that water supply systems are properly

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 19
designed, operated and maintained. The systems have to be efficient to ensure that water is
effectively collected, treated and distributed to consumers without contamination or leakages
along the way. This will also ensure that sewage is properly treated thus preventing chances of
water contamination by raw sewage.
7.8. Technology and research and development (R&D)
Water shortage can also be tackle by use of modern technology in water supply and
management systems. There are numerous technologies that can be used to treat water efficiently
and cost effectively on small and large scale, use sensors or even drones to monitor water supply
systems and identify leakages real time, control water usage, prevent water overuse, treat water
by desalination, etc. There is also need to invest more resources in R&D projects that can
minimize water wastage and improve water treatment or quality (Castelo, 2018). These projects
include: automated water management systems, such as an automated shower that limits the
maximum amount of water a person can use at a time; alternative water sources; and sustainable
water treatment methods, among others.
7.9. Policies
The government should enact laws that prevent or mitigate water pollution or contamination
and water misuse or wastage. Some of these policies include: water restrictions that limit the
amount of water that a consumer can use within a certain period of time; recommended
contamination levels of wastes released into water bodies and the atmosphere; acceptable water
efficient farming and manufacturing practices; and tax incentives or relief on manufacturing,
installation and application of alternative water sources or water efficient systems; among others.
Heavy fines and penalties (including jail terms and revocation of practicing or operating
licenses) should be imposed on offenders that are found to violate these laws.

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 20
8. Conclusion
In this task, I have fully demonstrated the importance of engineering competencies, personal
attributes, qualities, skills and research effectiveness. I have applied and demonstrated the
competencies of in-depth understanding (competency 1.3) and discernment of knowledge
development (competency 1.4) under knowledge and skills base by comprehensively analyzing
the past, present and future water shortage problem in Australia, climate and water supply in
Australia, causes and effects of water shortage, and solutions to water shortage problem in
Australia. I have demonstrated the competencies of application of established engineering
approaches in solving complex engineering problems (competency 2.1) and application of
systematic techniques in performing and managing engineering projects (competency 2.4) under
engineering application ability by comprehensively analyzing the complex water shortage
problem in Australia and identifying appropriate engineering solutions to this problem. Examples
of professional and personal attributes I have demonstrated in this paper include professional
accountability and ethical conduct (3.1) and professional management and use of information
(3.4). I have demonstrated this by collecting information from different sources and using it only
for the purposes of this study and by using acceptable research methods in engineering
profession to compete this study – qualitative and quantitative methods.
I have also demonstrated all the qualities of a USQ graduate in performing this study. The
USQ graduate qualities I have demonstrated include: discipline expertise (I have collected a wide
range of data and information about water shortage in Australia and identified solutions to the
problem), professionalism (I have effectively participated in researching water shortage problem
in Australia and identifying potential solutions), global citizenship (I have investigated water
shortage problem in Australia and recommended several solutions), scholarship (I have identified

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 21
various solutions to water shortage problem in Australia, which are also applicable to other parts
of the world), and lifelong learning (I have recognized the need to carry out more R&D projects
in relation to water shortage solutions).
I have also applied and demonstrated the generic attributes of a graduate of Engineers
Australia including teamwork, interpersonal skills, problem solving, ethical research, written and
oral communication, cultural literacy, sustainable practice, creativity and initiative,
organizational and management/planning skills and professional, academic and digital literacy. I
could not have completed this study without applying these qualities. Based on my
understanding in doing this reflection paper, hard skills can be said to be abilities that are
teachable and quantifiable such as reading, writing, mathematical computing and ability to use
different computer programs. On the other hand, soft skills are personality traits that define a
person’s character such as communication skills, teamwork, interpersonal skills, leadership
skills, work ethic, problem solving skills, motivation, time management and adaptability. These
skills are very essential for engineers for successful implementation of projects and I have
applied then in completing this paper. Last but not least, I can also attest that teamwork plays a
key role in successful completion of any project. The team must work effectively to share
information and ideas, analyze the project, develop a common goal, optimize individual
strengths and help each other’s weaknesses, communicate effectively and develop trust and
strong relationships. I could not have completed this paper without consulting from my
colleagues and lecturers.

Reflection on Water Shortage in Australia 22
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