“I am happy to welcome Dr Priscoli in our midst,” said Alice Bouman-Dentener, Interim GWP Chair. “I am confident his extensive knowledge and pre-eminence in the field of water and development will serve GWP partners on the ground and strengthen our role in the global water domain.”
Priscoli is a senior advisor at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at its Institute for Water Resources. He is also lecturer at Johns Hopkins University (School of Advanced International Studies) in Washington, D.C. For 30 years he has designed and run social assessment, public participation, and conflict resolution research and training programs along with a variety of national and international studies.
“I welcome the opportunity to serve as GWP’s Technical Committee Chair at the dawn of a new era in international development,” said Priscoli, in reference to the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “Water resources management is on that agenda and GWP has a key role to play in providing technical leadership on issues that connect water to today’s critical issues.”
Priscoli has served on the Board of Governors and the Executive Bureau of the World Water Council, an organisation he helped to found, in addition to GWP. He has been a water policy advisor to many organisations including UN water-related agencies, International Finance Institutions, and to many water ministers around the world. He has facilitated dialogs among diplomats, senior political leaders, and NGOs in the seven World Water Forums and in most of the major water resources policy meetings over the last 30 years, including the International Conference on Water and the Environment in Dublin, Ireland, in 1992, which produced a world consensus on water management called the Dublin principles.
“Water connects across stovepipes, jurisdictions, professions, public and private organizations, NGOs, civil society, and most aspects of life,” said Priscoli. “GWP has been a pioneer in advocating practical methods to integrate their divergent interests into policies and actions necessary for the well-being of life in our world and of its people. It is an exciting time to join GWP in this critical work.”
Priscoli has authored many articles and books including Water and Civilization (UNESCO), and Transforming Water Conflicts (Cambridge), and for special issues of the peer reviewed journal Water Policy for which he is Editor-in-Chief. He is a sought after lecturer on water issues and a commentator for media outlets. The American Water Resources Association awarded him the Icko Iben Award for his outstanding contributions in promoting communication among the various disciplines concerned with water resources issues.
Priscoli holds degrees in economics and political science and post-doctoral studies in theology from Tufts and Georgetown Universities.
GWP Executive Secretary Mr Rudolph Cleveringa said, “The combination of policy advisor in the international arena and academic experience makes Dr Priscoli an excellent fit for GWP because we want our knowledge contribution to bridge the science-policy gap.”