Martha: “EJWP kickstarted my water journey”

Martha Bjarnar Gjermo from Norway was one of the first participants in the European Water Junior Programme (EJWP) that started five years ago. She participated because she wanted to learn more about the European water sector. Now she realises the programme sparked a strong interest in water issues. Afterwards she changed jobs to a municipal water and sewage company and joined the board of a non-profit organization working with water and human rights.

It’s been five years since you first introduced yourself as a participant in EJWP1. How has your journey in the water sector evolved since then?

“My time in EJWP was incredibly educational for me. I was relatively new to the water sector and had a limited network in the industry. The programme sparked a strong interest in water issues, and since then, I have changed jobs to a municipal water and sewage company and joined the board of a non-profit organization working with water and human rights. I now work with climate transition in the water sector, and through my job at Drammen Municipality, I gain a lot of both practical and theoretical experience.”

Can you share some of the key milestones and achievements in your career over the past five years?

“In 2023, I got the position of Climate and Environment Specialist at Drammen Municipality Water and Sewage. I have established a management system for climate and environment in the organization and created a national climate- network for municipal water and wastewater companies. Through this engagement, I have also been asked to join national expert groups and steering committees for relevant projects through Norsk Vann, our national industry organization.”

How did your participation in EJWP1 influence your professional development and career trajectory?

“EJWP was the starting point for my water engagement. I have long had a strong commitment to climate issues and am also educated as a climate, resource, and development economist, but it was only after participating in EJWP that my interest in water became equally strong. Through the development program, we had several exercises where we were pushed far outside our normal comfort zones in many different contexts. This involved both professional and personal development, and I learned a lot about myself during this period. It has contributed to my confidence in handling uncomfortable situations and having techniques to manage them professionally. It has been incredibly useful and has made it easier to say yes to various opportunities that arise!”

What are some of the most memorable experiences you had during your time with EJWP?

“I had many memorable moments together with EJWP1. From the very beginning, we had an incredibly open and honest tone. We were asked to present a story about ourselves, where we talked about challenges we had faced and goals we had set for ourselves in the coming years, and it became a session where we got to know each other very well from the start. We ended our EJWP journey at my private cabin in Hardanger, where we hosted our last week together. We fetched water from the well, hiked in the mountains, cooked communal dinners, lit bonfires by the shore, and spent the whole day together on our small farm. It became an unforgettable memory!”

What challenges have you faced in the water sector, and how have you addressed them?

“The water sector in Norway has a significant maintenance backlog, and the industry already accounts for a large part of the nations greenhouse gas emissions. Much of the industry’s emissions are linked to maintenance projects of water and sewage infrastructure. This challenge is impossible for a single actor in the industry to solve alone, and we must collaborate to find good solutions. I work a lot with both internal anchoring and knowledge enhancement, sharing knowledge between municipalities, and sharing knowledge between other actors in the industry that we depend on collaborating with.

Can you tell us about any innovative projects or initiatives you have been involved in recently?

“My job involves both change and innovation. Among other things, the municipality has applied for funds for various climate-friendly construction projects, both studies and concrete implementation measures. We have also started various mini-research projects and studies related to both the use of materials in construction and the use of gravel in trenches. I am also involved in a national collaboration project through Norsk Vann, where a calculator for calculating emissions in water and sewage projects is being developed.”

How has the network you built through EJWP helped you in your professional journey?

“My network from my time in EJWP has been a great support and has also been an important inspiration when I later built my own national network. EJWP4 visited Norway in 2024, and I gave a presentation to them about the climate work in the water and sewage sector in Drammen Municipality, challenges, opportunities, strategies, and concrete experiences we have had so far.”

What are your future goals and aspirations in the water sector?

“I want to be an active contributor to achieving the necessary climate transition in the water sector while considering and meeting the requirements for natural values, environment, safety, preparedness, and quality. It is an incredibly exciting field to work in, while also being enormously challenging. But that is also why it is a very rewarding and inspiring field of work.”

How do you manage to balance your professional responsibilities with your personal life?

“In addition to my job, I also have several volunteer engagements. Periodically, I have also worked part-time on top of my normal job for FIVAS , the Association for International Water Studies, an NGO working with water and human rights in Norway. At the same time, I have three children and a husband, and I have at least as many projects going on in my free time as I do at work. It is sometimes incredibly busy, but I thrive best when there is a lot going on. At the same time, I also have periods of lower activity where both I and we as a family can recover a bit after busy periods.”

What keeps you motivated and inspired to continue working in the water sector?

“It is inspiring in itself to work with such a valuable resource as water. Contributing to solving one of the greatest challenges of our time is, of course, also incredibly exciting. Climate work is almost exclusively interdisciplinary, which means I learn an incredible amount of new things every day. I have a team of skilled and knowledgeable colleagues, and I find that we achieve a lot of great things when we work well together!”

What advice would you give to new participants joining EJWP today?

“Dare to step outside your comfort zone, participate fully, make friends, and build relationships! You will learn an incredible amount, both professionally and personally, if you dare to go ‘all in’!”

Martha’s profile five years ago