Katherine Selena Taylor

Dr. Katherine Selena Taylor serves as an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Water Justice Hub within the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University. Her research and practice in Central and Western Australia address critical issues in environmental technology, drinking water risk management, and water policy, with dedicated focus on water rights, responsibilities, and decolonisation.

Her academic qualifications include:

• PhD, Australian National University
• BSc (Hons) Environmental Science
• BSc Conservation Biology

Taylor's research spans water policy, governance, security, and decolonisation of water management, emphasizing Indigenous water rights and knowledge systems. Her scholarship critically examines international frameworks like the OECD's water governance principles through a justice lens, advocating for systemic change recognizing Indigenous sovereignty. She investigates intersections of environmental technology, risk management, and policy to advance equitable water access for Indigenous communities.

Analysis of her publications (2005-2023) reveals progressive deepening of Indigenous water governance engagement, evolving from technical wastewater irrigation studies to high-level policy critique. Her work consistently bridges academic research with community action, co-authored with Indigenous leaders, addressing drinking water quality gaps, non-market valuation of Indigenous values, and water security policy fragmentation across Australia's administrative landscapes.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Australian Post Graduate Award (2018)
• Australian Parliamentary Library Summer Scholar

Though specific student advising details are limited in public records, her Water Justice Hub role suggests mentorship potential. Collaborative outputs like the 'Water Justice Podcast' and policy briefs demonstrate applied research impact beyond academia, including co-authoring a 2022 Indigenous water reserves policy brief for ANU.

As a core Water Justice Hub member, Taylor contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship with Indigenous-led initiatives transforming Australian water governance, emphasizing Indigenous law and knowledge as central to achieving water justice through initiatives like the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council partnership.