Hajar Habib

From Rural Morocco to National Water Planning

Hajar’s journey began in a small village in Morocco, where she witnessed inequalities in water access and discovered how deeply water is connected to people’s lives, agriculture, and livelihoods. These early experiences sparked a question that would shape her career: why should access to water depend on where people live?

Driven by this question, she pursued engineering and developed expertise in agriculture, hydrology, hydraulics, and water management. Her path eventually led her to Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment and Water, where she held responsibilities in water planning and coordination and contributed to major national programs covering water resources management, irrigation, drinking water supply, and climate resilience.

From rural Morocco to national water planning, Hajar’s journey has been guided by one conviction: water is not simply a resource to manage, it is a foundation for dignity, opportunity, and resilient communities.

From Government to Research and Climate Resilience

After several years in public administration, Hajar decided to broaden her experience by moving into research and international consulting. She is now pursuing a PhD at the University of Liège in Belgium, where her research focuses on climate change adaptation and water security within the Water–Energy–Food–Environment nexus.

For Hajar, this transition represents a continuation of her previous work rather than a departure from it. Her experience in government provided her with a practical understanding of water planning, policy, institutions, and implementation while her doctoral research allows her to explore these challenges in greater depth and contribute to approaches that connect water security, climate resilience, and sustainability. Today, she sees her role as a bridge between policy, science, and people bringing together practical experience, research, and a human-centered approach to address increasingly complex water challenges.

Her involvement in major international water events, including the World Water Forums in Brasilia, Brazil, and Dakar, Senegal, as well as the 2023 United Nations Water Conference (New York), has further broadened her understanding of water governance and decision-making at both national and international levels.

Alongside her research, Hajar is also involved in international consulting activities related to water resources and climate resilience, allowing her to connect academic knowledge with practical challenges and diverse professional contexts.

Keeping People at the Center of Water Management

For Hajar, the ultimate purpose of water planning is impact. Behind every strategy, infrastructure project, technical decision, and statistic are people whose daily lives depend on access to reliable water services.

Her professional experience has made her particularly aware of the social dimensions of water scarcity and the disproportionate burden it can place on women. In communities where women are responsible for securing water for their families, improving access can have consequences that extend far beyond infrastructure. It can save time, reduce inequalities, and create new opportunities.

“I know that women have to look for water, but I should make it at least easier for them.” This belief continues to shape Hajar’s approach to water management. For her, technical solutions are essential, but they should always serve a broader human purpose. Water professionals must therefore remain connected to the people behind the numbers and ensure that strategies and innovations respond to real community needs.

Finding Strength Through the Community of Women in Water

Hajar discovered the Community of Women in Water through LinkedIn while looking for international organizations and opportunities to connect with other professionals.  Through CWiW, she has encountered women from different countries and professional backgrounds, each with their own experiences and challenges. These interactions have reinforced her understanding that professional struggles are rarely experienced in isolation.

“Sometimes you think you are the only one struggling. Then you see different experiences from different women, and you realize that some of them are facing challenges even greater than yours.”

For Hajar, one of the most valuable roles of a professional community is knowledge sharing. Women can learn from one another, exchange experiences, create meaningful connections, and provide support during challenging moments.

She is particularly inspired by women who overcome difficulties not only for themselves, but also to create opportunities for those who come after them. This has shaped her own understanding of professional success.

Leadership Through Trust, Collaboration, and Empowerment

Hajar’s professional experience has shaped her belief that leadership is not about titles, but about people. Working in a traditionally male-dominated technical environment taught her the importance of confidence, trust, and collaboration.

As a manager, she learned that achieving ambitious goals requires listening, delegating, and creating an environment where everyone’s contribution matters. In the water sector, she sees leadership as the ability to bring diverse perspectives together and build consensus among multiple stakeholders.

“Women do not need to adapt themselves to existing models of leadership; they can bring their own perspectives, strengths, and ways of building collaboration.” Her transition from government to doctoral research and international consulting has also taught her the value of stepping outside her comfort zone. She sees being a woman not as a limitation, but as a strength, bringing empathy and a human perspective to technical challenges. As AI and technology advance, she believes this human dimension of leadership will become more important than ever.

Rethinking Innovation in the Water Sector

According to Hajar, one of the water sector’s main challenges is that technology and innovation are advancing faster than institutions. Despite promising solutions, scaling them beyond pilot projects remains difficult due to regulatory, financial, institutional, and governance barriers.

She also believes innovation is not always about creating new technology. It can mean using existing knowledge, data, resources, or better governance in more effective ways. For Hajar, the first step is to properly understand the problem before deciding whether a technological solution is needed.

She also believes that innovation is not always about inventing something completely new, sometimes it means finding a better way of using existing knowledge to solve a real problem.

Addressing Water Challenges Through the Water–Energy–Food–Environment Nexus

This integrated perspective is central to Hajar’s research and work on the Water–Energy–Food–Environment nexus. She believes water, agriculture, energy, climate, and environmental challenges are deeply interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation.

For Hajar, sustainable water management requires stronger collaboration across disciplines and sectors, combining technology, expertise, collaboration, and integrated thinking to build more resilient systems.

Advice to the Next Generation of Water Professionals

To young professionals entering the water sector, Hajar’s advice is simple: do not be afraid to take a different path. The water sector is evolving rapidly and increasingly requires professionals who can combine technical expertise with knowledge of policy, governance, society, economics, climate change, and other interconnected fields. She particularly encourages young women to believe in themselves, take space in professional conversations, and remain open to opportunities that may lead them in unexpected directions.

“Step outside your comfort zone, take a risk, and create your own opportunities.” Her own journey reflects the value of lifelong learning and adaptability. Yet one principle has remained constant: never forget the people behind the numbers, strategies, and projects.