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Water Online Week 2021

March 22-25, 2021

Virtual

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  • Water, Climate, Action!

    As the World Bank Group aspires to foster a green, resilient, inclusive and transformative recovery around the world, the Water Global Practice rises to the challenges of climate change and COVID-19 in its yearly flagship event: Water Online Week 2021: Water, Climate, Action!

    Joined by decision-makers, influencers and experts, the World Bank Water Global Practice, the Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP) and the 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) will highlight the critical importance of delivering water supply and sanitation services, sustaining water resources and building resilience. The vision of a Water-Secure World for All is key to fostering green energy, ensuring food security, and promoting healthy behaviors that will underpin a sustainable future for people and the planet.

    Water Online Week 2021 will open its key sessions to the public. Register NOW for WOW!

  • Register for WOW!

    Plenary

    Speakers

    March 22, 2021 – 8-11 am EDT

    WOW! 2021 Grand opening - Water, Climate, Action!

    This session is now closed. Recording will be posted later. 

    Water Online Week 2021 (WOW!) opens on World Water Day, March 22, to shine a light on the unifying power of water to shape our future across the challenges posed by the ongoing health crisis, climate change and the economy.  

    For the Grand Opening of WOW! we will hear from global decision-makers and experts who may not be directly involved in the water sector but depend on it to realize their ambitions. Their agenda and their challenges in return shape how we understand water. A high-level discussion on the critical role of water for health, food production and green energy will be followed by snapshots of World Bank engagements around the world. The second panel, chaired by IFC, will hold a conversation with a panel of CEO’s from large companies and foundations about how they measure and reconcile the corporate risks and targets they have set for water and climate.

     

    Jennifer Sara, World Bank Global Director of Water, will welcome all to the grand opening of WOW! The week will kick-start with an opening panel about water from the perspective of health, food systems, political leadership, and the water-energy-climate nexus.   

    Panel: Water, Climate, Action! Working across sectors to deliver water for people, production and planet chaired by Letitia Obeng

    H.E. Serigne Mbaye Thiam, Minister of Water and Sanitation, Republic of Senegal
    Jeffrey Kightlinger, General Manager, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
    Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization 
    Martin Frick, Deputy Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit

    Global CEO Panel chaired by Stephanie von Friedeburg, Senior Vice President, IFC

    Natarajan Chandrasekharan, Chairman of the Tata Group
    Zouera Youssoufou, Managing Director and CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation
    Lydie Hudson, CEO of Sustainability, Research and Investment Solutions of Credit Suisse

     

    Closing remarks provided by Mari Pangestu, World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships.

     

    Plenary 2 – March 23, 2021 – 8-9:30 am EDT  
    Water for Cities

    Building the Next Generation of Resilient and Inclusive Cities

    This session is now closed. Recording will be posted later. 

    The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical role that water utilities play in safeguarding public health, protecting the poor and vulnerable, ensuring sustainable business growth and job creation, and mitigating the impacts of pandemics. And while water utilities suffer the impacts of climate change, they are also a source of global carbon emissions from energy use in the transportation, distribution and treatment of potable water and wastewater. Therefore, water utilities can have important contributions to the climate adaptation and mitigation agendas and in building resilience to an array of shocks and stresses, while ensuring equity and access to water and sanitation services through innovative approaches as well as important regulatory and financing efforts. In this plenary, World Bank experts and utility managers will discuss their experiences addressing critical challenges towards increasing access to WSS services, contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and building water resilient and inclusive cities and utilitie

     

    Opening Remarks by Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Regional Vice President West and Central Africa


    Keynote Presentation by Michael Webster, CEO of Cape Town Water

    Panel: Building Resilience, Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change, moderated by Gustavo Saltiel, World Bank Global Lead, Water Supply and Sanitation

    Ms. Eva Clemente, Manila Water Group Director for Strategic Asset Management, Philippines
    Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha, Director General, NWSC, Uganda
    Dr. Prabhushankar, Executive Director, Chennai Metro Water Board, India
    Mr. Juan Carlos Cordova, General Manager, SEDAPAR, Peru

    Panel: Looking Ahead: Designing Programs at Scale to Build Water Resilient Cities, moderated by Genevieve Connors, World Bank Practice Manager, Climate Change

    Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director, India
    Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director, South Africa.
    Vivek Pathak, Director and Global Head for Climate Business, IFC

    Closing Remarks by Jennifer Sara, World Bank Global Director, Water

     

    Plenary 3 – March 24 – 8-9:30 am EDT  
    Water When We Need It

    Water Storage in a Changing Climate

    This session is now closed. Recording will be posted later. 

    Water storage is playing an increasingly important role in adapting to -- and further mitigating -- climate change.   This session will look at the role of natural and built water storage in ensuring that people and the planet have the right amount of water when they need it in the face of a changing climate.  A changing climate will alter where, when and how much rain falls, how much water is needed for growing food, energy production and for other cooling purposes:  as a result, we will need to adapt how we are storing and otherwise managing water to ensure we have the right amount (and only the right amount!) of water when and where we need it.   This session will examine ways we can address our current and looming water security challenges through a broad spectrum of green and grey approaches to water storage.   Further, the session will look at the ways in which water storage can assist in mitigating climate change through reducing carbon emissions, including through supporting green energy and climate-friendly investments at scale. 

    Opening remarks by Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Managing Director, Operations

    Keynote & Q&A: Experience in Colorado River by Terrance J. Fulp, formerly Director of the Lower Colorado Basin Region, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (retired)

    Presentation by Riccardo Puliti, World Bank Regional Director, Infrastructure, West Africa

    Remarks by:

    H.E. Minister Gabriel Quijandría Acosta, Minister of Environment, Peru
    Debashree Mukherjee, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti
    Marina Wes, World Bank Country Director for Egypt

    Ignite Talks on Climate mitigation and adaptation activities led by Eileen Burke, World Bank Global Lead, Water Resources Management

     

    Plenary 4– March 25 – 8-9:30 am EDT
    Root Causes – Climate in Agri-Water

    Rearticulating the value proposition in Agri-water

    Watch the Event Live: https://worldbankgroup.zoom.us/j/96818217306?pwd=TmwrUDN4VFhjUnB6azRGMllYWFpkUT09

    Agricultural water management has been glorious in overcoming farming’s largest uncertainty: rain. But in doing so, it has created new vulnerabilities, and even contributed to the very climate hazard it was designed to manage. This session will look at the role of Agri-water in building climate resilience and addressing climate mitigation. The first theme will be on Scaling Solutions in Farmer Led Irrigation Development to help overcome major climate risks and make farmers thrive - using models to promote scale, cost-effectiveness and sustainability across and beyond Africa. Secondly, the next generation of engagements in Agri-water will need to address GHG emissions, particularly in large-scale irrigated rice. Improving on-farm water management supports climate mitigation, farmer income, water productivity, water quality, health, and biodiversity. This, however, requires systems change on the demand and supply side and creating the enabling environment that rewards change for the global good. New insights, tools and approaches to accelerate action on both agendas will be highlighted.

     

    Introduction: Pieter Waalewijn, World Bank Global Lead, Water in Agriculture

     

    Panel: Scaling solutions in Farmer Led Irrigation Development moderated by Joy Busolo, Sr. Water Resources Management Specialist, 2030 WRG, World Bank

     

    Hon. Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana, Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Rwanda
    David Gatende, Group CEO,Davis & Shirtliff
    Keith Hansen, World Bank Country Director Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Somalia
    Simeon Ehui, World Bank Regional Director Sustainable Development West Africa

     

    Paddies for the Planet: Climate Mitigation in Agri-water
    Keynote presentation on climate impacts of Water in agriculture and possible solutions by Jonathan Foley, Executive Director at Project Drawdown

    Presentation of Professor Bin Dong Government Official from China on experiences with AWD and irrigation services

    Panel discussion moderated by Claudia Sadoff, Managing Director Research Delivery and Impact CGIAR

    Dr. Aruna Rachakonda, Marketing Director South Asia, CORTEVA Agriscience
    Martien van Nieuwkoop, World Bank Global Director Agriculture and Food
    Benoit Bosquet, World Bank Director Sustainable Development, East Asia and Pacific
    Jonathan Foley
    , Executive Director at Project Drawdown
    Bin Dong, Professor, School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering, Wuhan University, China

    Closing remarks by Jennifer Sara, World Bank Global Director, Water

     

  • External Speakers

    H.E. Serigne Mbaye Thiam

    Minister of Water and Sanitation, Republic of Senegal

    Serigne Mbaye Thiam is the Minister for Water and Sanitation and former Minister of National Education in Senegal. Minister Thiam held various civil service positions in Senegal since 1996, including as Deputy and Minister of Higher Education and Research. He also worked extensively in the private sector, consulting, accounting and corporate finance and serving as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at the Autonomous Port of Dakar between 1987 and 1998. Minister Thiam is also the President of UNESCO’s National Commission for Senegal and represents his country on UNESCO’s Executive Board.

    Jeffrey Kightlinger

    General Manager, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

    Jeffrey Kightlinger is general manager and chief executive officer for The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a state-established cooperative that delivers water to 26 member agencies serving 19 million people in six counties. Kightlinger was appointed general manager in February 2006. As general manager, he manages the District’s $1.8 billion annual budget and 1,800 employees to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of high quality water every day throughout Southern California. He reports to a board of 38 members representing 26 member agencies. Kightlinger has an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from Santa Clara University. He serves on a number of boards including the Coro Foundation, the USC Price School of Public Policy, the UCLA Sustainability Advisory Board, the Climate Action Reserve, the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy, the Los Angeles Economic Development Council and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, among others.

    Soumya Swaminathan

    Chief Scientist, World Health Organization

    Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was most recently WHO's Deputy Director-General for Programmes. A paediatrician from India and a globally recognized researcher on tuberculosis and HIV, she brings with her 30 years of experience in clinical care and research and has worked throughout her career to translate research into impactful programmes. Dr Swaminathan was Secretary to the Government of India for Health Research and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research from 2015 to 2017. In that position, she focused on bringing science and evidence into health policy making, building research capacity in Indian medical schools and forging south-south partnerships in health sciences. From 2009 to 2011, she also served as Coordinator of the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases in Geneva. She received her academic training in India, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, and has published more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. She is an elected Foreign Fellow of the US National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of all three science academies in India. She has previously been on several WHO and global advisory bodies and committees.

    Martin Frick

    Deputy Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit

    Martin Frick is the Deputy of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Food System Summit 2021. He served before as the Senior Director of UN Climate Change where he was overseeing the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the secretariat's Climate Action work. As programme director for former Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Foundation, he developed the founding narrative of climate justice. He previously served as Director for Climate Change at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He was the German representative for human rights and humanitarian affairs at the UN General Assembly and served as the European Union’s lead negotiator in the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council. As Ambassador to the international organizations based in Germany, he helped building up the UN’s sustainability hub in Bonn. He holds a PhD in Law from Regensburg University and was a guest lecturer at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.

    Natarajan Chandrasekaran

    Chairman of the Tata Group

    Natarajan Chandrasekaran is Chairman of the Board of Tata Sons, the holding company and promoter of more than 100 Tata operating companies with aggregate annual revenues of more than US $100 billion. He joined the Board of Tata Sons in October 2016 and was appointed Chairman in January 2017. Chandra also chairs the Boards of several group operating companies, including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – of which he was Chief Executive Officer from 2009-17. The Tata group companies include 29 publicly-listed corporations with a combined market capitalization that exceeded US $120 billion at the start of 2017. His appointment as Chairman followed a 30-year business career at TCS, which he joined from university. Chandra rose through the ranks at TCS to become CEO and Managing Director of the leading global IT solution and consulting firm. Under his leadership, TCS generated total revenues of US $16.5 billion in 2015-16 and consolidated its position as the largest private sector employer in India and the country’s most valuable company. TCS has also been placed among the “Big 4” most valuable IT services brands worldwide, ranked as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Forbes and recognized as a Global Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute across 24 countries. Chandra embedded a culture of customer-focus and innovation at TCS. In addition to his professional career at Tata, Chandra was also appointed as a Director on the Board of India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, in 2016. He has also served as the Chairperson of the Information and Communication Technology Industry Governors at the World Economic Forum, Davos in 2015-16. Chandra is an active member of India’s bilateral business forums including USA, UK, Australia and Japan. He served as the chairman of NASSCOM, the apex trade body for IT services firms in India in 2012-13. His business leadership has been recognized by several corporate and community organizations, and he has received numerous awards, including: - Business Leader of the Year at the ET Awards for Corporate Excellence 2016; - CNBC TV 18 - ‘Indian Business Icon', 2014; - CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2014 (business category); - Best CEO for 2013 and 2014 by Business Today; and, - Best CEO 2010-15 Institutional Investor’s Annual All-Asia Executive Team rankings; Chandra has been awarded several honorary doctorates by leading universities in India and internationally. He attended the Regional Engineering College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, where he completed a Masters degree in Computer Applications before joining TCS in 1987. Chandra is an avid photographer, and a passionate long-distance marathon runner. Born in 1963, Chandra lives in Mumbai, with his wife Lalitha. They have a son, Pranav, who is currently pursuing undergraduate studies.

    Zouera Youssoufou

    Managing Director and CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation

    Zouera Youssoufou is managing director and CEO of The Aliko Dangote Foundation, the largest private foundation in sub-Saharan Africa, based in Lagos, Nigeria. She leads the foundation’s efforts to improve the health, nutrition, education, and economic empowerment outcomes for Africans, primarily in Nigeria. Ms. Youssoufou provides overall management oversight for the Foundation, and provides support on Social Investments to the Dangote Group. Prior to joining the foundation, she spent 10 years with the World Bank Group in various capacities, ranging from managing the Global Women in Business program at IFC to representing the group as a country manager in three Central African countries. Ms. Youssoufou joined the World Bank Group in 2005 from Citigroup’s Smith Barney, where she covered emerging markets in New York and Atlanta as an Equity Research Analyst. Her previous experiences include working with the European Union on private sector development issues in Niger and management consulting with Deloitte in Ghana. Ms. Youssoufou holds an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BBA in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Isenberg School of Business. She is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Hausa.

    Lydie Hudson

    CEO of Sustainability, Research and Investment Solutions of Credit Suisse

    Lydie Hudson is the CEO of Sustainability, Research and Investment Solutions and a member of the Executive Board of Credit Suisse Group. In her role, Ms. Hudson oversees the bank’s development of innovative research, advisory, and investment solutions for wealth management, corporate and institutional clients. Furthermore she is responsible for the firm’s sustainability strategy – including driving the product and advisory offering. Ms. Hudson also co-leads Credit Suisse’s employee culture strategy. Previously, Ms. Hudson was the Group Chief Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Officer. In this role, she oversaw Credit Suisse's compliance and regulatory environment, the bank’s policies and controls while serving as an executive on the firm’s Audit Committee and Financial Crime and Conduct Committee. Prior to that, Ms. Hudson was the Chief Operating Officer for the Global Markets division and a member of the Global Markets Management Committee. In this role she oversaw strategy, technology, and operations for the division. In addition, she worked in various management and strategy roles across the Equities, Fixed Income, and Asset Management departments. Prior to joining Credit Suisse in 2008, Ms. Hudson worked at Lehman Brothers and The Boston Consulting Group. Ms. Hudson was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2017 where she is serving a 5 year term. In addition, she currently sits on the board of Good Shepherd Services, a large non-profit in New York. Ms. Hudson holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School where she was honored for her exceptional contribution to the HBS community. She holds a B.A. from Middlebury College where she graduated cum laude and with honors. An American, Ms. Hudson is married with two sons and lives in Zurich, Switzerland.

    Eva Clemente

    Manila Water Group Director for Strategic Asset Management, Philippines

    Ms. Clemente was a member of the pioneer batch of the Company’s Cadetship Program. She has over 20 years of significant experience in the areas of master planning, program, management, project and business development, operations, technical services, innovations and organizational transformation. She has a solid track record of successful management with a reputation for delivering objectives and targets by providing strategic directions from diverse perspectives through positive leadership. Ms. Clemente served as the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Manila Water Total Solutions, Corp., where she helped build new growth pipelines for its future core business. She also served as Head of Product Innovation and Development prior to her appointment as OIC. She was also tasked to lead the Productivity and Growth Team which conceptualized and implemented projects geared towards the development of a new operating model for Manila Water Operations. She served as Head of the Technical Services Division from 2013 until 2016, and managed the operations, optimization and solutioning spanning energy utilization and contracting, system monitoring and analytics, laboratory services and innovations for all operational water and wastewater facilities. During her stint as Head of Laboratory Services, she increased operating efficiency, profit, and also launched water quality forensics, water quality database and incident management for proactive responses on water quality from dams to plants to distribution systems including byproducts disposal. She also served as Program Manager from 2008 to 2011, where she developed and managed the implementation of about US$120 million worth of wastewater projects under the World Bank-funded Manila Third Sewerage Project (MTSP). Ms. Clemente is a licensed chemist. She earned her degree in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines. She is also a Lean Six Sigma and PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) practitioner, and a certified PCAB AMO (Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board; Authorized Managing Officer).

    Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha

    Director General, NWSC, Uganda

    Silver Mugisha (PhD), is the current Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation of Uganda. He has been in this position since 2013. He has over 20 years’ experience in water utility management, international policy, research and advisory services. He specialises in institutional development, policy analysis and utility transformational and change management processes. He has published widely in peer reviewed journals. His recent (2019) book volume, published by IWA Publishing is on “Sustaining High Performing Public Enterprises: A Case of National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda”. He also authored another book (published by IWA Publishing) titled, “Utility Benchmarking and Regulation in Developing Countries: Practical Application of Performance Monitoring and Incentives”. He was a member and Vice President of IWA (2014-2018). He is the Vice President for African Water Association for East African Region (2014-todate). He is also a member of SENSE Research School of the Netherlands.

    Dr. Prabhushankar

    Executive Director, Chennai Metro Water Board, India

    Dr.T. Prabhushankar is an Indian Administrative Service officer of 2013 batch from Tamil Nadu Cadre and is currently serving as Executive Director in Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), Tamil Nadu. He is a medical graduate with specialization in Community Medicine and has worked as Assistant Professor in a medical school at Chennai and practiced medicine as a Diabetologist and family physician. He is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service and has been serving in the state of Tamil Nadu in various administrative positions concerned with public service delivery which directly impact the lives of the people especially the underprivileged. He has been bestowed with the “Public Justice Champion” award by the Maharashtra State Commission for Women for his work on Bonded Labour during his stint as Sub Divisional Magistrate. In his early part of his career, he has been actively involved in many public health issues like prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health and Polio eradication among others. He had devised a program of Health Promoting schools in the city of Chandigarh for control of childhood obesity. In his present position as Executive Director, CMWSSB he administers the parastatal body that is mandated with securing the planned development of water and sewerage services of the metropolitan city of Chennai, efficient Operation & Maintenance, regulation of water supply and sewerage systems and preparing long term plans to meet the city’s future requirements. CMWSSB has a unique expertise in running Desalination plants, recycling and reuse of waste water and adopts some best practices in drought management and mitigation, including the successful handling of the unprecedented water scarcity during the summer of 2019. Numerous projects for waste water reuse including TTRO, TTUF; rainwater harvesting and restoration of water ways and water bodies have been initiated by CMWSSB recently under him.

    Juan Carlos Cordova

    General Manager, SEDAPAR, Peru

    Juan Carlos Córdova Lizárraga is currently the General Manager of the Regional Water Utility SEDAPAR S.A. which operates in Arequipa, Peru, with more than 700 employees and an annual billing of over 45 million dollars. Juan Carlos is considered a Global Water Leader and was invited to participate in the Global Water Leaders summit meetings in Paris (2018) and London (2019). A Civil Engineer by training, Juan Carlos also holds a Master's Degree in Social Management, a Certificate in Machine Learning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is also a certified neurolinguistic coach. Furthermore, he has a Specialization in Financial Management, Arbitrage and Public Contract Management. Outside of his role as the General Manager of SEDAPAR, Juan Carlos is a part-time faculty member at San Martin de Porres University, an experienced speaker, and column writer on themes related to Management and Water and Sanitation Engineering.

    Terrance J. Fulp

    formerly Director of the Lower Colorado Basin Region, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (retired)

    Terrance (Terry) Fulp, Ph.D., was appointed Regional Director of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Region in September 2012. Headquartered in Boulder City, Nevada, the Lower Colorado Region is responsible for the operation of Reclamation’s water and power facilities on the last 688 miles of the Colorado River, from Lee’s Ferry in northern Arizona to the Mexican border. Fulp, a Reclamation employee since 1989, oversees programs that implement the Secretary of the Interior’s water master functions on the lower Colorado River, including water delivery, accounting, and contracting, and hydropower operations. Fulp also oversees implementation of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, a multi-agency effort to conserve and work towards the recovery of endangered species and protect and maintain wildlife habitat on the lower Colorado River. Fulp is actively involved in Colorado River operations and management issues, working closely with other federal and state agencies and various stakeholders on issues related to management and use of the river. Prior to his appointment as Regional Director, he served as Deputy Regional Director for the Region. His previous experience also includes serving as Area Manager of the Boulder Canyon Operations Office where he managed and administered the successful Basin-wide effort to develop additional operational guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, thereby minimizing the effects of long-term drought in the Southwest. Fulp was the principal investigator for the Department of the Interior’s Watershed and River Systems Management Program, a research program to develop decision support tools for watershed management. With the cooperation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the effort resulted in the development of RiverWareTM, a sophisticated river operations modeling framework that is now used by several water management agencies – including Reclamation, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Corps of Engineers – to plan and schedule the operations of river basin facilities to meet multiple objectives. Fulp holds a Ph.D. in Mathematical and Computer Sciences from the Colorado School of Mines, a M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado, a M.S. in Geophysics from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Earth Sciences from the University of Tulsa. Fulp has received numerous awards during his career, including the Superior Service Award, one of the Department of the Interior’s highest for career employees. Fulp was also awarded the Virgil M. Kauffman Gold Medal from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of geophysical exploration.

    H.E. Minister Gabriel Quijandría Acosta

    Minister of Environment, Peru

    A recognized expert in environmental matters and natural resource management, with extensive experience in different institutions for the promotion of development in the Latin American region. In addition, he has extensive experience in environmental policy and management, financing sustainable development, biodiversity conservation and climate change. In the field of research within his competence, he has developed studies oriented to the design of policies and training and teaching activities, both at the university level and for decision makers in the public and private sectors. Graduated as a Master in Administration of Natural Resources in INCAE Business School in Costa Rica and Graduated in Sociology from the University of the Republic in Uruguay. He has held positions as Co-president of the Green Climate Fund, Representative in Peru of The Nature Conservancy and Head of the Technical Department of PROFONANPE. He has held the position of Vice Minister of Strategic Development of Natural Resources of MINAM on two occasions, between December 2011 and 2016 and again between March 2019 and November 2020.

    Debashree Mukherjee

    Additional Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti

    Hon. Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana

    HoMinister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Rwanda

    Gerardine Mukeshimana serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Rwanda from July 2014. She holds both a PhD and MSc in plant breeding, genetics, and biotechnology from Michigan State University, and an Agriculture engineering degree from the National University of Rwanda. She has served in different roles in education, agriculture, and rural development sectors in Rwanda. She has conducted research in Africa, South America, and the US. She worked with BecA-ILRI Hub as a post-doctoral scientist in Plant molecular biology when appointed Minister, she is a former RSSP coordinator. Dr. Mukeshimana was recognized in 2012 by the Board of International Food and Agriculture Development (BIFAD) for her significant contributions to the breeding of the common bean for drought tolerance and disease resistance; key constraints to bean production in Africa.

    David Gatende

    Group CEO, Davis & Shirtliff

    Claudia Sadoff

    Managing Director Research Delivery and Impact CGIAR

    Claudia Sadoff is a globally-recognized leader in water management for international development. She most recently served as the Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Center headquartered in Sri Lanka working globally to find water solutions for sustainable, climate-resilient development. She also served as a member of the CGIAR System Management Board, acting as CGIAR Gender Champion. Prior to joining IWMI, she spent over 20 years at the World Bank where she worked across Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, holding multiple positions, including Lead Economist and Global Lead for Water Security and Integrated Water Resource Management. She currently serves as a Member of the Scientific Group of the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit and was recently named an Honorary Member of the International Water Resources Association. She has received appointments from a wide variety of other organizations, including: Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Oxford University; Chair of the Global Water Partnership/Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Task Force on Water Security and Sustainable Growth; Economic Advisor to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water Security; Member of the Global Water Partnership Technical Committee; and Fulbright scholar. She holds a PhD in Economics.

    Dr. Aruna Rachakonda

    Marketing Director South Asia, CORTEVA Agriscience

    Jonathan Foley

    Executive Director at Project Drawdown

    Dr. Jonathan Foley is a world-renowned environmental scientist, sustainability expert, author, and public speaker. His work is focused on understanding our changing planet, and finding new solutions to sustain the climate, ecosystems, and natural resources we all depend on. Foley’s groundbreaking research and insights have led him to become a trusted advisor to governments, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and business leaders around the world. He and his colleagues have made major contributions to our understanding of global ecosystems, food security and the environment, climate change, and the sustainability of the world’s resources. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed scientific articles, including many highly cited works in Science, Nature, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2014, Thomson Reuters named him a Highly Cited Researcher in ecology and environmental science, placing him among the top 1 percent most cited global scientists. A noted science communicator, his presentations have been featured at hundreds of international venues, including the Aspen Institute, the World Bank, the National Geographic Society, the Chautauqua Institution, the Commonwealth Club, the National Science March in Washington, D.C., and TED.com. He has taught at several major universities on topics ranging from climate change, global sustainability solutions, the future of the food system, and addressing the world’s “grand challenges”. He has also written many popular pieces in publications like National Geographic, the New York Times, the Guardian, and Scientific American. He is also frequently interviewed by international media outlets, and has appeared on National Public Radio, the PBS NewsHour, the BBC, CNN, and in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post, Salon, WIRED, the HBO documentary on climate change “Too Hot Not to Handle”, and the upcoming film series “Let Science Speak”. Foley has won numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, awarded by President Clinton; the J.S. McDonnell Foundation’s 21st Century Science Award; an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowship; the Sustainability Science Award from the Ecological Society of America; and the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Award. In 2014, he was also named as the winner of the prestigious Heinz Award for the Environment. Before joining Project Drawdown, Foley led a number of world-leading environmental science and sustainability organizations. From 1993 to 2008, he was based at the University of Wisconsin, where he launched the Climate, People, and Environment Program (CPEP), founded the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), and served as the first Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies. From 2008 and 2014, he was the founding director of the Institute on the Environment (IonE) at the University of Minnesota, where he was also McKnight Presidential Chair of Global Environment and Sustainability. Then, between 2014 and 2018, he served as the Executive Director of the California Academy of Sciences, the greenest and more forward-thinking science museum on the planet.

    Bin Dong

    Professor, School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering, Wuhan University, China