A program with outcomes that affect 1.3 billion people
Ten large Asian river basins (the Amu Darya, Indus, Tarim, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze, and Yellow) originate in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) region. They supply water to more than 1.3 billion people, a fifth of the world’s population, providing the means for food and energy production, livelihoods and a range of other crucial social and environmental services.
There is a need for Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) in the HKH basins. Building on previous training and the Resource Book developed by ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development), this training program seeks to support individuals from across the HKH region, situated in Government and Non-Government roles, to build their understanding of IRBM and their capacity to positively influence RBM in their work.
Course Introduction
Learning Outcomes
- The participants will be able to use the concept of IWRM and IRBM in their work area
- The participants will be able to seek further knowledge and expertise in specific tools and approaches for understanding river basin drivers and impact
- The participants will be able disseminate the understanding on water governance and institutional frameworks, waterdiplomacy, regional cooperation, socio-economic drivers and Gender and operational aspects of water resources management in their respective institutions for further uptake.
Session Recordings
Meet the Participants
Meet the Participants
Project Team
This training program has been co-designed and co-delivered by a team from the International WaterCentre at Griffith University in partnership with colleagues at Alluvium International and The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
Our team of experts bring extensive capacity development and training program design and delivery experience together with an in-depth understanding of the unique context of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Region. This is supported by extensive experience in ensuring GEDSI integration into capacity development programs and an in-depth understanding of each of the module topics.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is an intergovernmental organisation focussed on knowledge and learning to improve the lives and livelihoods of people living in the HKH and protection of its mountain environments and cultures. ICIMOD was set up by its eight Regional Member Countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan –which support its operations and provide strategic guidance. To learn more about ICIMOD and its programs please click here.
Dr Wade Hadwen - Course Coordinator, Griffith University
Dr Wade Hadwen is a Lecturer at Griffith University and has over 50 published papers and industry monographs. He is a member of the Australian Rivers Institute and the Climate Action Beacon and his research revolves around the management of water resources in light of climatic and non-climatic threats in both developed and developing Nation contexts. His teaching, into the Masters of Integrated Water Management (MIWM), the Masters of Catchment Sciences (MCS) and undergraduate Environmental Science programs, focuses on the physical, chemical and biological properties of water, the catchment scale issues that require monitoring and restoration attention and the challenges of balancing water needs for people and the environment.
Contact - w.hadwen@griffith.edu.au
Shailendra Shakya
Shailendra Shakya is an Engineering graduate, specializing in early warning instrumentation and implementation of community-based adaptation: Community based flood early warning system (CBFEWS). Currently, he is working as a consultant for CBFEWS for the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and his work includes technical support to partner organizations and local stakeholders to allow effective implementation and out scaling of CBFEWS. Recently, he has worked together with co-partners of ICIMOD: Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources For Development (RCMRD) and Sustainable Eco Engineering (SEE) to implement 21 CBFEWS in 8 districts in Malawi, Africa under UNDP funded project. He is also working to link CBFEWS with integrated flood risk management like nature-based solutions (NbS) as key contributor in R&D and implementation.
Dr Brian McIntosh
Brian is an experienced integrated water management educator, educational leader and researcher. He has 19 years of experience working in research institutes, academia and the private sector in Australia, England, Scotland and Sweden, and in projects involving collaborators from 21 different countries.
As an educator, he has led the development and delivery of water management and engineering Masters-level programs in the UK and Australia, responsible for educating over 550 graduates from 86 different countries. He has also delivered training courses to a diverse range of donor bank, government and private sector clients.
A recipient of international and national research awards, Brian’s research work has involved extensive academic, government and industrial collaboration, both nationally in Australia and internationally across America, Europe, North Africa and Asia. He has received research funding from a mix of government, industrial and European Commission sources.
Arun B Shrestha
Arun has a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of New Hampshire, USA and mhis doctoral dissertation was on the “Physical and chemical climate of the Himalaya.” He also earned a Master’s degree in Hydraulic Engineering from Byelorussian Polytechnic Institute, Minsk, former USSR.
Since he joined ICIMOD in 2006, he has worked in various capacities, including Action Area Team Leader for Strengthening Upstream Downstream Linkages, Regional Programme Manager for River Basins Programme and Acting Programme Manager for the Cryosphere and Atmosphere Programme. Before joining ICIMOD, Arun served in the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Government of Nepal, where I was responsible for the operation of high altitude hydrometeorological stations
Neera Shrestha Pradhan
Neera has been working with ICIMOD since July 2010 as a subject specialist and programme coordinator. She brings more than 20 years of experience in the field of river basin management, community-based adaptation, disaster risk reduction, environmental management and impact assessment, and freshwater conservation and management. Before joining ICIMOD, Neera worked at IUCN Asia Regional Office, IUCN-Nepal, and WWF Nepal, implementing projects in various countries. She has published several scientific peer-reviewed papers, journal articles, and book chapters. Neera's academic journey has enhanced her understanding of physical as well as social science, and her professional career has given her a platform to work with local communities, practitioners, academics, policymakers, and scientists.
Professor Helen Johnson
Helen Johnson is a Water, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Civil Society Organisation (CSO) specialist, with over 37 years’ experience in gender studies, anthropology, social science and cultural heritage.
Helen has a PhD in Anthropology from Monash University and is currently a professor at The University of Sassari in Italy, The University of Bonn in Germany, and Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. She has written and edited numerous publications on women and gender, gender impact assessment, gender and cultural diversity, and gender issues in international development, with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific Region. Helen has supervised over 95 postgraduates at the PhD and Masters level to successful completion of their thesis research projects.
Shivaang Sinha
Shivaang Sinha is currently a Programme Officer for Koshi Basin Project, River Basins and Cryosphere Regional Programme, where he supports the implementation and development on DRR and River Basin Management projects on the Koshi River Basin. He completed his Masters in International Affairs from Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.
Simon Tilleard
Simon is a water resources management specialist and manager that works at multiple scales, from site scale monitoring and data analysis to national policy engagement and advice. Simon has a deep understanding of the HKH context through undertaking water resources projects in many of the HKH basins and countries. Simon also has extensive experience in engagement with government and international organisations in the region. He has engaged closely with government agencies up to Minster and Secretary level for many of the countries covered by HKH basins including India, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Through these engagements he has both co-developed and delivered complex multi-million dollar and multi-year planning, policy, governance and engineering related projects in the water sector. Simon has also led numerous capacity building initiatives for ministries and water resource related agencies in Australia, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand and promoted knowledge sharing through the presentation of best practices in water resource management at both national and international workshops. This experience and knowledge will ensure that the training is contextualised to the HKH’s unique context and that engagement with ICIMOD and government agencies is done diplomatically and effectively.
Tarika Gulati
Tarika works on research and capacity development for integrated water resources management including river basin management and water sensitive approaches in the South Asian context. With her work, she applies Australian best practice to the South Asian context. Based in India, Tarika is a Water Management specialist with a background and expertise in integrated water resources management. work. She has worked with several NGOs in India and internationally, on various aspects of water and river management issues. During her career she has worked on desktop research, field studies and conducted several capacity building programs with a range of stakeholders from government to end users.
Kabi Raj Khatiwada
Kabi Raj Khatiwada is an Environmental Science graduate, specialising in climate change and water resource assessment in the Himalayan Basins. He applies hydrological modelling tools, climate data products for analysis, interpretation and visualisation of climatic and hydrological information at different scales. He is passionate about understanding the changing climate and the different components of the water cycle, future scenarios and climate induced disasters. Currently, he is a water resources analyst for the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and his work supports the enhanced understanding of the Himalayan basins in terms of both present and future scenarios through research work and capacity building of partner organizations and individuals.
Ashmita Shakya
As Programme Associate it is Ashmita's role to coordinate with the cross functional units to provide administrative, logistic and finance support to the programme. From a wider perspective, her role is to advocate and support the noble cause for which ICIMOD is working. Ashmita is an MBA graduate with a specialization in general management, with over 13 years of experience. Prior to joining ICIMOD, Ashmita worked in administration and finance within the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Nepal.
Dr Frederick Bouckaert
Frederick Bouckaert holds a BSc (Hon) in Environmental Science specialising in Freshwater Ecology from Murdoch University 1996. He worked at the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) from 2002 until 2017. He led the Sustainable Rivers Audit program as Director from 2010-2013 while also completing the Master of Integrated Water Management with the International Water Centre, University of Queensland and Griffith University. Since 2013, he continued to work in the Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation team at MDBA, assessing impacts on river restoration from the implementation of the Basin Plan, and the delivery of environmental flows. In 2021 he worked for the UN FAO on the Asian Water Scarcity Program. He is currently working as a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, and as a Casual Lecturer at the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University. He is also Director of Riverreach consulting, to offer his professional expertise on a contractual basis.
Govinda Shrestha
As a Senior Programme Associate, Govinda provides logistics support for organizing workshops and meetings under the Koshi Basin Initiative. He is also responsible for maintaining smooth working relations with Koshi Basin partners and ICIMOD colleagues working for the Koshi Basin Initiative. Govinda joined ICIMOD in 1995 as a Junior Assistant Secretary for the Mountain Natural Resources Division. Prior to that, he worked for 13 years as an Administrative Assistant at the Agriculture Training Centre, Department of Agriculture, Government of Nepal with the Manpower Development Agriculture Project (GTZ). Govinda holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities and social science from Tribhuvan University and a graduate certificate in Japanese language from the College of International Languages, Tribhuvan University