Stefan Reuter is a civil engineer specialising in climate-resilient urban sanitation and agricultural water management, with expertise in organisational development. With thirty years of experience, he has worked with consultancies in Germany, German Development Cooperation in West Africa and the NGO BORDA. His contributions, in collaboration with an extensive network of partners, include the implementation of 4,000 rural water supply and decentralised sanitation systems in India and over 20 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, using nature-based and eco-centric approaches. A regular visitor to India during his two decades with BORDA from 2000, he helped establish the CDD Society, chaired the Programme Committee for the '4th International Faecal Sludge Management Conference' (Chennai 2017) and co-founded the FSM Alliance. After 2 years in Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire) supporting the African Water and Sanitation Association, he is currently working as a Senior Advisor for the German consultancies 'Urban Waters' and 'Aqua & Waste International'.

Natasha is a seasoned banker with 30 years of work experience in the financial services industry in India and overseas. Through her past roles, she has built a strong business strategy agenda using a combination of subject matter expertise, a broad set of the development sector and global financial services experiences combined with industry and client environmental perspectives. As part of her role leading Transaction Banking services in both Standard Chartered and then HSBC in India and overseas she worked in partnership with development sector organisations such as Sewa, Mann Deshi, Grassroots etc in developing cash management services in rural India. Her strong project management skills in implementing technology based solutions internally within the bank as well as to meet client needs with regard to customization of the bank’s varied platforms were recognised. Her large and varied commercial banking, Credit and Risk management and payments and cash management knowledge across various industry segments such as Consumer Brands, Retail, Insurance, Telecoms, Technology and Oil and Gas in various regions such as Asia Pacific, MENA, Europe and the US have helped her in building the current dialogue between the Private sector and the Government. Since 2018, Natasha has been solely focused on working in the development sector, where she has helped build the strategic philanthropy dialogue for Dasra, by partnering with national and international agencies like OECD, ISC, BMGF, ON and others to provide donors with strong platforms to learn and contribute their philanthropic intent. She subsequently steered ISC as its CEO in the last 3 years to partner with several members of the coalition to create and implement social sector initiatives between investors, grantees and intermediaries including the Government specifically around the enhancement of private sector funding in WASH. As part of the overall experience in applying financial services acumen to the development sector has also invested in broadening her experience by partnering with UHNIs, Corporates, Foundations, Social Enterprises, Banks etc both national and international to advance their social agendas. Her contributions to creating a strong dialogue with the private sector specially Corporates and Financial services organisations and their participation in WASH are well recognised and show cased in the soon to be started Model Block Initiative in partnering with the local governments and creating Lighthouse blocks for Solid and Liquid Waste Management ( SLWM) in each of the 733 districts across 28 states of India. This project is a first of its kind and has been sponsored by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation at a national level. Natasha has also spoken at various forums on WASH in general and specifically with regard to the necessity to engage the private sector in working with the government. The recent forums she has spoken on are : ISC representing the NFSSM Alliance at the National Wash Conclave 2022 Key speaker at the AVPN South Asia Social Investment Summit 2022. Key speaker on WASH at the Rotary India Presidential Conference 2022 In addition, Natasha has done research in the interlinkages between WASH and other sectors such as Gender, Nutrition, Livelihoods, Hygiene and Health. She has written several articles on these subjects.

Sakshi Gudwani is a development-sector professional, with over 15 years of experience spanning private, public, and nonprofit engagements. She leads the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) program at the Gates Foundation in India, driving policy design, institutional strengthening, and private sector partnerships. In her role at the Foundation, Sakshi leads engagements with engineering and R&D institutes, academic and industry associations, and international financial institutions (IFIs) while managing critical government relationships to advance the Foundation’s impact in the sector. Sakshi has also previously managed the Avahan program, the Foundation’s flagship HIV prevention initiative in India. Before joining the Gates Foundation, Sakshi was a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she advised CEOs, government departments, and top management across industries, including social impact, healthcare, technology, and financial services. Sakshi holds an engineering degree and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow.

Updating soon

Updating Soon

Updating Soon

Günter Langergraber is Senior Scientist at the Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU University) with more than 25 years' experience in wastewater and sanitation related research. His main research topics being treatment wetlands, nature-based solutions, andresources-oriented sanitation systems for 20+ years. Günter has been involved in projects in various developing countries including India. Günter Langergraber holds a PhD in Civil Engineering and Water Management and as habilitation (professional dissertation) in the field of Sanitary Engineering, both from BOKU University. He is and was active in various positions in the International Water Association (IWA). Since 2023 he is (again) Chair of the IWA Specialist Group on Resources-Oriented Sanitation (after a first period as Chair from 2010 to 2016). Günter Langergraber was chair of the COST Action Circular City (https://circular-city.eu/) that aimed to build an interdisciplinary platform for connecting city planners, architects, system designers, circular economists, engineers and researchers from social and natural sciences that develop systems allowing cities to cope with future challenges, i.e., climate change, resource depletion and biodiversity loss.

Dr. Vilas Nitivattananon is a Professor at the Department of Development and Sustainability, and a former Dean of the School of Environment, Resources and Development, at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. He has an academic background in engineering, economics, and systems management, with a PhD degree from the University of Pittsburgh, USA. He has worked for both academic and private sectors (in industrial and consulting business), as well as non-profit organizations. He has contributed to the development and management of several research projects from conception to completion, especially in infrastructure development and environmental management, at international, national, and local scales – under UNEP, UNESCAP, WB, ADB, USAID, CIDA, SIDA, MOFAID, MRC, and JICA, etc. His areas of specialization and research interest include systems approach and management, urban competitiveness and resilience, climate change and urbanization, waste recycling and circular economy, strategic and sustainable infrastructure development, sustainable tourism and regional development, and sustainability and impact assessment. He is editorial board member of several international journals and has published more than 100 articles in international journals, conference papers, and book chapters.

Aman Bhaiya is a 1st generation learner who currently serves as the Vice President and Heads Strategy at SBI Foundation. He identifies as an Intrapreneur, who aims to strategically leverage CSR for contributing towards the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. Aman has ~10 years of leadership experience in Corporate Social Responsibility and advisory experience in Financial Markets. He was part of a 3-member team (founding member) that launched the first Section 8 Company (non-profit) in the Public Sector Banking space – State Bank of India (SBI) Foundation. He played an instrumental role in framing SBI Foundation’s strategy, policies & procedures and setting up programmatic verticals in Education, Healthcare, Livelihoods & Entrepreneurship, Disability, Women Empowerment, Environment, Sports, Innovation & Research & Development. Aman has played a key role in planning and implementing CSR activities to the tune of Rs. 1500 Cr for State Bank of India, SBI Foundation and Group subsidiaries. Aman possesses expertise in building organisational systems, organising Board meetings and managing Board matters, networking and liaising with CXOs, Government officials and Govt. Ministries, policy formulation, designing strategy, developing CSR policies & procedures and finding innovative solutions. Aman is armed with exceptional project management aptitude, firm work ethic, and a proven track record of designing and executing CSR programs. Aman’s thought leadership on identifying, co-designing and driving major innovations in various fields can be seen through the SBI Foundation funded programs like Development Impact Bond in Education with Haryana Govt., Tele Mentoring for COVID-19 warriors in 10 States with National Health Missions, SBIF Hub for Data & Analytics with AI & ML, organ donation with Govt. of Manipur, early childhood education with Govt. of Meghalaya, middle school curriculum development with Govt. of Uttar Pradesh and Centre of Excellence for Genomics Guided Pandemic Prevention with 7+ State Governments and Centre of Excellence for Anti-Microbial Resistance.

Dr. V.Thiruppugazh retired from the Indian Administrative Service in the rank of Additional Secretary to Government of India. After joining the Civil Service in 1991, he served in various district assignments as Assistant Collector, District Development Officer and District Collector before he was posted as Joint Chief Executive Officer of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA). In addition to his contribution in Gujarat earthquake reconstruction and disaster management initiatives in Gujarat as Joint CEO, Additional CEO and CEO of GSDMA, he held several senior positions such as Commissioner and Secretary Rural Development, Commissioner of Information and Secretary to the Chief Minister in Government of Gujarat. He also served as Senior Advisor, Nepal Planning Commission and Senior Advisor, Nepal National Reconstruction Authority following the massive 2015 earthquake in Nepal. In Government of India, he served as Advisor, Policy and Planning in the National Disaster Management Authority, New Delhi. He was instrumental in preparing the first ever National Disaster Management Plan. He played a key role in preparation of several national guidelines such as guidelines on minimum standards of relief, guidelines on preparation of heatwave action plan, guidelines on management of thunderstorm and lightening, National Guidelines for preparation of action plan for cold wave, Disability Inclusive Disaster Management and Temporary Shelters to name a few. He has authored many book chapters and journal articles related to disaster management. He received his PhD in disaster management from the Australian National University, Canberra. Currently he is the chairman of the advisory committee for mitigation and management of floods in Chennai Metro.

Joop Stoutjesdijk is Lead Irrigation Engineer of the World Bank. His work in the Philippines focuses on flood management and irrigation projects, where he led the preparation of the Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan. He currently oversees the plan’s implementation in close cooperation with the Department of Public Works and Highways and other agencies. He also works in the South Asia Region, tasked with the preparation and review of water, irrigation, flood management, and dam safety projects in Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. He combines expertise in the development, rehabilitation, modernization, and management of irrigation systems, including dams, and institutional development of irrigation agencies and water users associations. Stoutjesdijk studied civil engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. He joined the World Bank in August 1996 and has worked in a number of countries in the Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia, and East Asia. Before joining the World Bank, he worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from October 1982 to August 1996, mainly in African countries, but also in Mongolia.

Sri Sushil Gupta ,former Chairman of Central Ground Water Board and Central Ground Water Authority, has more than 47 years of experience in studies pertaining to exploration, development, recharge, management, and regulation of ground water. Sri Gupta has several scientific papers and reports to his credit and has undertaken as well as supervised innumerable field studies throughout his career . He was also associated with World Bank as a Program Development Specialist for formulation of National Groundwater Management Improvement Program (now Atal Bhujal Yojana). He is credited with contributions to the society in terms of identification of safe aquifers for supply of groundwater for drinking and other uses, the most notable being in trans-Yamuna areas of Delhi during the outbreak of gastroenteritis in 1988. He is an Expert Member in the National Level Expert Committee on Aquifer Mapping. has recently completed his tenure as Member, Punjab Water Regulation & Development Authority. Sri Gupta is Life Member, Indian Association of Hydrologists’ and has had the distinction of being President, Indian National Chapter of International Association of Hydrogeologists’; Vice President, Indian Water Resources Society; and was felicitated as Illustrious Alumni of Lucknow University, Lucknow in 2013.

Prof. Mukand S. Babel is a Distinguished Professor of Water Engineering and Management (WEM) and Director of the Centre for Water and Climate Adaptation (CWCA) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. He is also Adjunct Professor, at UNU-FLORES, Germany, Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter, UK and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India, and Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India. He received a doctoral degree in the Water Resources Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand in 1993. His professional experience in teaching, research, and consultancy spans over 40 years in Asia in fields of hydrologic and water resources modelling, integrated water resources management, climate change impact and adaptation, and flood and drought analysis, forecasting and management. He has co-authored more than 205 journal articles in high impact factor international journals with a current h-index of 48. He has led over 90 projects, many of which translate scientific research to policy and practice. Prof. Babel is recognition among the top 2% of influential scientists globally in environmental engineering, as per Stanford University's 2023 rankings and featured among the world’s top 1000 influential climate scientists in the Reuters Hot List published in April 2021. He appeared in the top 2% list of scientists in the world for research impact based on 2019 achievement in Engineering. He was a recipient of the 2018 International Award by the Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources.

India Manager of the Internews’ Earth Journalism Network, Joydeep Gupta trains environmental journalists and writes articles on climate change, water, biodiversity, pollution and sustainable development. Joydeep has worked earlier in The Third Pole, Indo-Asian News Service, The Statesman, The Sunday Observer and Sunday Mail. He has covered the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and every UN climate summit since 2007, where he has also been a mentor for other journalists. Joydeep won the 2023 SEAL award for environmental journalism and the 2012 Green Globe Award at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit organized by The Energy and Resources Institute. He has a Masters degree in Environmental Economics and Environmental Management from the University of York (UK).

Dr. Yogesh Jadeja, a well known geohydrologist is a dynamic professional dedicated his life to create water sustainability for the society. He, has established an organization names Arid Communities and Technologies with objective to design local solutions for water and livelihood security. He is operating with a diverse team to provide services on water management where groundwater management is a core program. He has derived local sustainable solutions by integrating advance technology and innovation with traditional knowledge. He believes in transformation of learnings, technology and science to community and at national scale by demystify science at users level.

Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni is a Founder Trustee, Formerly Executive Director and currently Scientist (Emeritus) with ACWADAM. ACWADAM is a not-for-profit institution working on groundwater since 1998. He has led ACWADAM since its founding, until 2022, as Executive Director. Dr. Kulkarni is also associated with three leading academic institutions, namely as Professor of Practice for the Rural Management Programme at Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence in Greater Noida, as Visiting Professor at Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies. He also teaches for the Water Policy and Governance Programme at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. Dr. Kulkarni has been working on aquifers and community action across India’s diverse groundwater typology for more than forty years. He has held advisory positions on various committees of the Government, apart from anchoring many action-research collaborations on groundwater, including international programmes. Dr. Kulkarni has published his work, while also working with communities at the grassroots, demystifying groundwater science and catalysing aquifer-based participatory groundwater management and governance. He has supervised, guided and mentored students from many institutions and disciplines on the singular subject of groundwater for many years in various positions. Dr. Kulkarni continues to work on bringing a strong ‘aquifer’ based pedagogy into various dimensions of water management and governance in India.

Shilp has more than 20 years of experience in the water, energy and rural livelihoods domain. He studied Economics at the University of Delhi and did his masters in Rural Management from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA). In his current role as Senior Researcher and Deputy Country Representative – India, Shilp provides leadership to inform, inspire, and influence policies aimed at sustainable resource management and economic growth in Asia and Africa. He leads the IWMI-Tata Water Policy Program (ITP), Solar Energy for Rural Livelihoods (SE4RL), and acts as IWMI lead for a new IKI project - Indo-German Cooperation on Agrivoltaics (IGCA).

Mr. Ratnesh is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in national and multilateral development initiatives. Currently, as Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network India, he advocates for sustainable and socially responsible practices among corporations, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promoting inclusive growth. In his role as a Senior Fellow at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, his research and policy analysis have influenced national and international policies on inclusion and growth. While working with the United Nations Development Programme, he designed and implemented programs to improve access to financial services for bottom-of-the-pyramid clients, and his interventions in skill development and entrepreneurship training have fostered economic growth and reduced poverty in UN Focus states. At the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Mr. Ratnesh provided credit and business development support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), contributing to their growth, sustainability, job creation, and economic development. He also co-created innovative blended finance models that combine public and private sector resources to support enterprise promotion, skill development, trade facilitation, and financial inclusion.