Water science and policy development go hand in hand. But how exactly can data support decision-making for transboundary waters? What types of data are critical to designing and implementing policies? And what happens when data is patchy, biased, or missing?
Dr Reba Paul joined during the inception of Global Water Partnership South Asia (GWP SAS) as a volunteer in 1998 and worked through 1999 and engaged in various capacities to formulate the South Asia Technical Advisory Committee (SASTAC). She worked twelve years (1998-2010) at GWP South Asia and then moved to Sydney, Australia and carried out her Doctoral Research on Energy Sensitive Urban Water Planning in Developing Countries. At present she is employed as a full-time Adjunct Research Fellow of Institute for Sustainable Futures.
GWP Bhutan or Bhutan Water Partnership was established with the support of multiple of senior officials from the Royal Government of Bhutan. Dr Lam Dorji being the youngest Chair of GWP South Asia served from 2016-2018 at the Regional Water Partnership.
Born in 1938, at age 84 Dr Motadullah is still fond of reminding the happy memories that he had with GWP as the first Executive Secretary and engaging in establishing Regional and Country Water Partnerships around the world during the inception of the network. He preferred to conduct his value addition come from the perceptive of GWPO as he was heading
Mr Nanda Abeywickrama, (former Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Land Development (1978-88) and Director, International Co-operation (1988-94) also worked as a Special Adviser to the Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) from 1997 to 2005. In 1998, Mr Abeywickrama’s name was recommended by the then Director General, IWMI and appointed as a founding member of the Global Water Partnership Technical Advisory Committee for South Asia (SASTAC). Later, he held the position of Regional Chair of GWP South Asia (GWP SAS) from 2005 when the SAS Secretariat was moved to Sri Lanka under the hosting agreement with IWMI. He served as the Chair, GWP SAS from 2005-06 and weaned away from work gradually. Currently, Mr Abeywickrama is in his retirement living with his beloved wife in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Sardar Muhammad Tariq, born on 15 May 1939, has over 53 years experience in planning, design,
tendering and construction management of water resources and hydropower development
projects Asia. He was a former Chairman of the South Asia Technical Advisory Committee (SASTAC) and the Regional Chair of Global Water Partnership South Asia (GWP SAS) from 2010 to 2012. Time to time he held the position of Regional Council Member of GWP SAS representing Pakistan and currently holds the position of Executive Director/CEO of GWP Pakistan (Pakistan Water Partnership).
GWP South Asia is passing its 20th Year milestone in 2022. This is high time to honour the founders of our network as the strong foundation they have laid out was stable enough to develop this strong network now with six Country Water Partnerships and more than 400 institutional partners. Therefore, we have decided to bring their voices together on this page as a gratitude to the people who have reshaped policies and water decisions in their countries and spent their energy shed their sweat to ensure a "Water Secure South Asia".
