Our People

With 13 offices in 12 countries our staff are drawn from many countries and cultures. They are however united in their aim to produce innovative scientifically based solutions to the issues of water management and climate change.

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11 staff member(s)

Mark Smith
Director General

Rachael McDonnell
Deputy Director General – Research for Development

Pay Drechsel
Senior Fellow-Advisor - Research Quality Assurance (Interim Country Manager)

Mohsin Hafeez
Director of Water, Food and Ecosystems

Inga Jacobs-Mata
Director of Water, Growth and Inclusion

Manohara Khadka
Country Representative – Nepal (Rotational CR)

Syon Niyogi
Chief Operating Officer

Rodrigo Ordóñez
Global Communications Lead for Water Systems

Vidhisha Samarasekara
Strategic Program Director – Water Climate Change and Resilience

Abdulkarim Seid
Country Representative – Ethiopia, Regional Representative – East Africa (Rotational CR)

Mark Thomson
Director - Business Strategy and Delivery
23 staff member(s)

Oyture Anarbekov
Country Manager/Researcher

Susanne Bodach
Research Group Leader – Integrated Circular Economy Transformations (ICET)

Youssef Brouziyne
Regional Representative & CGIAR Water System Lead in MENA region (Rotational CR) – CR Rep-rotational (6 months)

Marie-Charlotte Buisson
Research Group Leader – Economics and Impact Assessment (EcIA)

Olufunke Cofie
Country Representative – Ghana, Regional Representative – West Africa (Rotational CR)

Mark Dubois
Country Representative and CGIAR Water Systems Lead - Laos; Regional Representative South East Asia

Mariangel Garcia Andarcia
Research Group Leader – Water Futures Data & Analytics (WFDA)

Gamini Halvitige
Head of Finance

Anne Heese
Head of Human Resources

Bunyod Holmatov
Research Group Leader – Water, Food, Energy Nexus (WFEN)

Juliana Knapp
Senior Manager - Resource Mobilization and Partnerships

Jonathan Lautze
Research Group Leader – Integrated Management of Basins and Aquifers

Matthew McCartney
Research Group Leader – Sustainable Water Infrastructure and Ecosystems

Karen Nortje
Research Group Leader - Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)

Nirudha Perera
Head of Information and Communications Technologies

Darshini Ravindranath
Research Group Leader – Climate Policies, Finance and Processes (CPFP)

Henry Roman
Country Representative - South Africa

Juan Carlos Sanchez Ramirez
Research Group Leader - Water Governance and Political Economy (WGPE)

Nilantha Sangapalaarachchige
Head, Facilities and Administration

Petra Schmitter
Research Group Leader – Climate Mitigation & Adaptation Pathways (CMAP)

Alok Sikka
Country Representative - India (Rotational CR)

Naga Manohar Velpuri
Research Group Leader – Water Data Science for Action (WDSA)

Asmi Yazeen
Head of Program Management

Headquarters – Sri Lanka

50 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Mark SmithDirector General
Rachael McDonnellDeputy Director General – Research for Development
Wasudha AbeyrathnaProject Coordinator
Mohamed AheeyarResearcher
Niranga AlahacoonResearcher - Remote Sensing and Disaster Risks
Upali AmarasingheSenior Researcher
Giriraj AmarnathPrincipal Researcher – Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience
Indika ArulingamSenior Research Officer
Emmanuel AttohResearcher - Climate Adaptation Specialist
Susanne BodachResearch Group Leader – Integrated Circular Economy Transformations (ICET)
Marie-Charlotte BuissonResearch Group Leader – Economics and Impact Assessment (EcIA)
Sanjiv de SilvaSenior Regional Researcher - Natural Resources Governance
Thakshila DharmapriyaScientific Manuscript Examiner
Chris DickensPrincipal Researcher
Sujeewa DissanayakaResearch Analyst - Remote Sensing and GIS
Pay DrechselSenior Fellow-Advisor - Research Quality Assurance (Interim Country Manager)
Nishadi EriyagamaRegional Researcher - Water Resources Engineer, Deputy Country Manager - Sri Lanka
Mariangel Garcia AndarciaResearch Group Leader – Water Futures Data & Analytics (WFDA)
Surajit GhoshRegional Researcher – Water Risk and Data Sciences Specialist
Gamini HalvitigeHead of Finance
Anne HeeseHead of Human Resources
Bunyod HolmatovResearch Group Leader – Water, Food, Energy Nexus (WFEN)
Mahesh JampaniRegional Researcher – Water Risks, Climate Change and Health
Nilanthi JayathilakeResearcher - Septage Management and Reuse
Radheeka JirasinhaResearcher - Freshwater and Wetland Management
Deepa JoshiGender, Youth and Inclusion Lead Specialist
Juliana KnappSenior Manager - Resource Mobilization and Partnerships
Mansoor LehResearcher - Spatial Hydrology
Lahiru MadushankaResearch Officer – Water Data Cloud Analytics
Thilina MadushankaNational Researcher - Hydrology and Water Management
Lisa Maria RebeloPrincipal Researcher (Earth Observation for Sustainable Development)
Javier Mateo-SagastaSenior Researcher and Coordinator-Water Quality
Karthikeyan MatheswaranResearcher - Water Productivity
Matthew McCartneyResearch Group Leader – Sustainable Water Infrastructure and Ecosystems
Lal MuthuwattaSenior Regional Researcher - Hydrological Modeling-Remote Sensing, Deputy Country Manager - Sri Lanka, CGIAR Country Convener - Sri Lanka
Syon NiyogiChief Operating Officer
Rodrigo OrdóñezGlobal Communications Lead for Water Systems
Nirudha PereraHead of Information and Communications Technologies
Vidhisha SamarasekaraStrategic Program Director – Water Climate Change and Resilience
Nilantha SangapalaarachchigeHead, Facilities and Administration
Petra SchmitterResearch Group Leader – Climate Mitigation & Adaptation Pathways (CMAP)
Manahari SingarachchiProject Coordinator
Avinandan TaronResearcher - Investment and Institutional Analyst for RRR Business Development
Mark ThomsonDirector - Business Strategy and Delivery
Julie van der BliekDirector – Multilateral and Bilateral Innovative Finance & Resource Mobilization (IFRM)
Davy VanhamSenior Researcher - Integrated Modeling and Assessment
Naga Manohar VelpuriResearch Group Leader – Water Data Science for Action (WDSA)
Chaturangi WickramaratneResearcher - Freshwater Ecologist
Darshana WickramasingheResearch Analyst - Remote Sensing and GIS
Asmi YazeenHead of Program Management

South Asia

Anand

8 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Subhodeep BasuResearch Officer – Rural Livelihoods
Suchiradipta BhattacharjeePolicy Engagement Specialist
Philip KuriachenResearcher - Water and Livelihoods
Mutum LamnganbPostdoctoral Fellow - Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems
Deepa M P MNational Researcher - Water and Energy
Vidya MandaveResearch Officer – Water and Agricultural
Nikunj UsadadiaResearch Officer – Action Research
Shilp VermaSenior Researcher - Water-Energy-Food Policies, Deputy Country Representative - India

New Delhi

22 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Faiz AlamRegional Researcher
Anurag BanerjeeResearch Officer- Economics of Water Policy and Climate Change
Abhijit BeheraResearch Officer - Land and Water Management
Dhyey BhatpuriaResearcher – Environmental Data Analyst
Shreya ChakrabortyResearcher – Climate Change Policy and Adaptation
Navya ChanduResearch Officer - Water Resource Management
Gopal KumarResearcher - Agroecology-Natural Resources Management
Smaranika MahapatraNational Researcher - Water Data Modelling
Sudharsan MalaiappanIWMI-ITC Project Research Officer
Archisman MitraRegional Researcher
Syed MizanResearcher – Groundwater Hydrology
Suman PadheeResearcher – Water Risk Modeler
Shweta PanjwaniResearcher - Data Analysis and Visualization Analyst
Manikanta RadhakrishnaResearch Officer - Economics of Water Policy and Climate Change
Darshini RavindranathResearch Group Leader – Climate Policies, Finance and Processes (CPFP)
Dipaka SenaResearcher - Hydrology and Water Resources Management
Alok SikkaCountry Representative - India (Rotational CR)
Garima TanejaResearch Officer - Economics
Mansi TripathiResearcher – Resource Recovery and Reuse
Sahana VResearcher - Water Risk Modeler
Deepak VarshneyRegional Researcher
Shweta YadavNational Researcher – Water Quality and Waste Management

Nepal

14 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Anil AryalNational Researcher – Water Resources Management
Marlene BuchySenior Researcher - Social Scientist, Deputy Country Representative - Nepal
Jibesh K.CResearch Officer - Resilient Water Management and Livelihoods
Darshan KarkiNational Researcher - Gender Social Inclusion and Youth
Sumitra KCNational Researcher - Policy and Water Governance
Manohara KhadkaCountry Representative – Nepal (Rotational CR)
Sanju KoiralaNational Researcher - Social Science, Water and Natural Resources
Anuj MishraResearch Officer - Socio-Technical Innovation
Santosh NepalResearcher - Water Resources and Climate Change
Nilhari NeupaneResearcher – Development Economist and Quantitative Analysis
Saurav PradhanangaSenior Research Officer - Climate Change and Hydrology
Indu SharmaPostdoctoral Fellow - Inclusive Governance and Nutrition Sensitive Agri-food Systems
Nirman ShresthaRegional Researcher - Agricultural Water Management
Shisher ShresthaNational Researcher - Renewable Energy Water & Climate Change

Pakistan

31 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Muhammad AliResearcher – Economist
Hafsa AemanSenior Research Officer – Geoinformatics
Iqra AkramSenior Research Officer – Water & Climate Policy
Adnan AliSenior Research Officer - Water Management
Zeshan AliSenior Research Officer - Hydrologist
Azeem Ali ShahResearcher – Water Governance Institutions
Hameed AlizaiSenior Research Officer - Community Mobilizer
Muhammad ArshadResearcher - Integrated Water Resources Management Specialist, Deputy Country Representative - Pakistan
Khadija BegumGender and Youth Specialist
Tousif BhattiRegional Researcher – Water Management
Abdur CheemaRegional Researcher – Water Governance and Institutional Specialist
Muhammad CheemaResearcher - Water Resources Management
Fiza FaiziSenior Research Officer - Geoinformatics
Sumble GhaniRemote Sensing & GIS Officer
Hammad GilaniResearcher - Remote Sensing and GIS
Mohsin HafeezDirector of Water, Food and Ecosystems
Abdul HakeemNational Researcher - Irrigation Agronomist
Kashif HussainSenior Field Officer - Agriculture Water
Shahid IqbalRegional Researcher - Water Modelling
Naveed IqbalRegional Researcher - Hydrologist
Novaira JunaidNational Researcher – Economist
Syed KhairRegional Researcher – Applied Agronomic Expert
Sidra KhalidNational Researcher – Gender and Social Inclusion
Umar LiaqatRegional Researcher – Spatial Hydrology
Anwar MaqsoodSenior Research Officer - Hydrologist
Sarfraz MunirRegional Researcher - Water Management
Asif NaseerNational Researcher - Water Resources Management
Abdul RasheedNational Researcher - Applied Adaptive Agriculture Specialist
Kanwal WaqarResearcher – Gender and Youth Specialist
Muhammad Zain AkbarResearch Officer – Policy and Water Governance
Muhammad ZohaibNational Researcher - Remote Sensing and GIS

Southeast Asia

Laos

5 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Ammala ChanthalathResearch Officer - Participatory Methods
Somphasith DouangsavanhRegional Researcher - Hydrogeologist
Souphalack InphonephongNational Researcher - Social-Political Scientist
Paul PavelicSenior Researcher
Viengxay XaydalaNational Researcher – Social Science

Myanmar

2 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Phay Ko UProject Coordinator
Palal MoetResearch Officer

Central Asia

Uzbekistan

4 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Oyture AnarbekovCountry Manager/Researcher
Zafar GafurovResearcher - Remote Sensing-GIS
Shavkat KenjabaevNational Researcher - Water Resources Management
Saida UsmonovaResearch Officer - Small-scale Hydropower Energy Specialist

West Africa – Accra – Ghana

25 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Noah AdamteySenior Researcher - Resource Recovery and Agri-food System Expert
Dzifa AgbefuInnovation Hub Coordinator
Komlavi AkpotiPost-Doctoral Fellow-Spatial Hydrology
Sarah AppiahResearch Officer - Social Scientist
Gerald AtampugreIntegrated Expert in Natural and Social Sciences
Zemadim BirhanuSenior Researcher - Water and Land Management Expert
Olufunke CofieCountry Representative – Ghana, Regional Representative – West Africa (Rotational CR)
Moctar DembeleRegional Researcher – Spatial Hydrology
Kekeli GbodjiResearch Officer - Inclusive Agricultural Finance
Solomie GebrezgabherSenior Researcher - Economics
Sandra HydeResearch Officer - Social Sciences
Mirja MichalscheckPostdoctoral Fellow - Innovation Scaling
Eric NarteyResearch Officer - Recycling and reuse
Salomon ObahoundjePostdoctoral Fellow – Geospatial Tools for Water Management
Abena OfosuSenior Research Officer -Innovation Scaling
Adebayo OkeRegional Researcher - Agricultural Water Solutions
Andrew OkemRegional Researcher - Climate Adaptation & Governance
Charity Osei-AmponsahSenior Regional Researcher - Governance Institution and Inclusion, Deputy Country Representative - Ghana
Afua OwusuPostdoctoral Fellow – Remote Sensing and Hydrology
William QuarmineRegional Researcher - Development Economist
Tosin SomorinResearcher - Circular Economy Waste Management
Thai Thi MinhSenior Researcher - Innovation Scaling
Seifu TilahunSenior Researcher – Hydrology and Water Resources Management
Giulia ZaneResearcher - Economist
Sander ZwartSenior Researcher - Water and Climate Change Management

East Africa – Addis Ababa – Ethiopia

18 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Muluken AdamsegedResearcher - Innovation Scaling, Deputy Country Representative - Ethiopia
Oluwadara AlegbeleyePostdoctoral Fellow - Microbiologist - Food Safety and Water Quality
Wolde BoriSenior Researcher – Environment and Development
Mengistu DebelaSenior Researcher - Gender and Social Inclusion
Girma EbrahimInternational Researcher – Hydrology and Water Resources
Fitsum HagosSocial Science - Economist
Amare HaileslassiePrincipal Researcher
Pacem KotchofaResearcher – Political Economy of Food, Land and Water Policies
Mitchell McToughPostdoctoral Fellow – Water, Conflict & Resilience
Dagmawi MelakuResearch Officer II – Agricultural Innovation Systems
Alan NicolPrinciple Researcher
Juan Carlos Sanchez RamirezResearch Group Leader - Water Governance and Political Economy (WGPE)
Abdulkarim SeidCountry Representative – Ethiopia, Regional Representative – East Africa (Rotational CR)
Mulugeta TadesseSpatial Data Scientist
Alemseged Tamiru HaileSenior Researcher - Hydrology/Hydrological Modeling
Meron Teferi TayeResearcher - Transitioning Landscapes
Desalegn TegegneResearch Officer II
Likimyelesh WoldegiorgisResearch Officer

Southern Africa – Pretoria – South Africa

21 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Hauke DahlScaling Lead – East and Southern Africa
Tinashe DirwaiRegional Researcher - Agricultural Water Management Solutions
Ojongetakah Enokenwa BaaPostdoctoral Fellow - Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Agribusiness
Nora Hanke-LouwProject Coordinator Deputy Country Representative - South Africa
Idil IresPostdoctoral Fellow - Water and Climate Policy
Inga Jacobs-MataDirector of Water, Growth and Inclusion
Zolo KialaPostdoctoral Fellow - Water Data Science
Jonathan LautzeResearch Group Leader – Integrated Management of Basins and Aquifers
Manuel MagombeyiRegional Researcher
Mirriam MakungweResearch Officer – Innovations Scaling
Everisto MapedzaSenior Researcher - Social and Institutional Scientist
Greenwell MatchayaSenior Researcher - Economics-ReSAKSS Coordinator, Deputy Country Representative - South Africa
Seipati MokhemaResearch Officer – Gender, Social Inclusion and Youth
Munyaradzi MutenjeResearcher Scaling Water Solutions
Mahlatse NkosiResearch Officer – Inclusive Agricultural Finance
Ngowenani NohayiResearch Officer - Policy and Water Governance
Karen NortjeResearch Group Leader - Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)
Felix OpolaPostdoctoral Fellow - Equality Social Inclusivity and Digital Innovation
Winnie PeleResearch Officer – Innovation Scaling (AICCRA Project)
Henry RomanCountry Representative - South Africa
Yakob UmerRegional Researcher - Water Risks and Data Science Specialist

Middle East and North Africa – Cairo – Egypt

6 staff member(s)

Full Name Designation
Maha Al-Zu’biRegional Researcher – Sustainable & Resilient Water Systems
Youssef BrouziyneRegional Representative & CGIAR Water System Lead in MENA region (Rotational CR) – CR Rep-rotational (6 months)
Sarah DekhelResearch Officer - Water Productivity
Muhammad KhalifaRegional Researcher - Integrated Modeling and Assessment
Ireny KhellaMonitoring and Evaluation Specialist - Sustainable Agriculture
Sandra RuckstuhlSpecial Advisor to the Director General and Senior Researcher
7 staff member(s)
Full Name Designation
Priyanie AmerasingheEmeritus Scientist
Chu Thai HoanhEmeritus Scientist
Palanisami KuppannanEmeritus Scientist
Herath ManthrithilakeEmeritus Scientist
Tushaar ShahEmeritus Scientist
Bharat SharmaEmeritus Scientist
Barbara van KoppenEmeritus Scientist