About GWP Technical Committee | Technical Committee Members
About GWP Technical Committee
The GWP Technical Committee (GWP TEC) supports the GWP Strategy 2020-2025 through global strategic positioning of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) issues, partnership between public and private sectors, fostering innovation, and in-country support to GWP country and regional networks around the world.
The GWP TEC has the following objectives
- Support policy makers with insights on emerging issues, drawing on the knowledge of world experts.
- Provide high-quality, peer-reviewed and evidence-based information and background material for water resource practitioners at all levels.
- Provide advice and support, and facilitate sharing of knowledge and experiences at regional and country levels.
As the knowledge engine of the GWP Network, GWP TEC has served the network and the global water community through influential and pioneering reports on all aspects of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). In recent years, GWP TEC’s approach has evolved from issuing standalone technical reports to a more inclusive and collaborative approach with the GWP Network. This cooperative approach fosters mutual learning, allowing all participants to contribute and co-create learning and knowledge.
Technical Committee Members
Ms Jaehyang So, Chair
Ms Jaehyang So (“Jae”) became the GWP Technical Committee Chair on April 1, 2022.
Jae had an extensive career at the World Bank Group, working on sustainable development and finance, including infrastructure, water, urban development, gender, and public private partnerships. As Director, Trust Funds and Partnerships, she led the policy framework for the $45 billion in external funds under management by the World Bank. As Manager of the Water and Sanitation Program, she led the strategic vision and increased the Program’s capacity through a new business plan process and results-based management.
Jae led the World Bank engagement on the Sanitation and Water for All partnership and developed the World Bank PPI Database, the global industry standard for public private partnerships and investment in infrastructure. She served on the boards of the Global Water Challenge and the Water and Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.
Dr Dustin E. Garrick
Dr Dustin E. Garrick is an associate professor of environmental management, with a joint appointment at the School of Geography and the Environment and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. He is also a research fellow at Green Templeton College.
Dr Garrick has expertise in environmental governance with a focus on property rights, institutions and markets. He has twenty years of experience in environmental management with a focus on markets and governance innovations to address resource scarcity and sustainability challenges. He has extensive expertise at the interface of science, policy and enterprise, serving as an invited speaker at leading universities and expert advisor for the World Bank, OECD, corporations, governments and non-profits. In 2018, the American Association for the Advancement of Science selected Dr Garrick as a Leshner Fellow of Public Engagement. He also co-founded a global initiative on water markets with the World Bank Water Practice and has served on many international committees. He has been a Fulbright Scholar (2010-11) in Australia and was the 2018 recipient of the Sustainable Water Management Prize from the Botin Foundation in Spain.
Mr Lance Gore
Joined the GWP Technical Committee in 2024
Lance Gore is a Principal Water Resources Specialist for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In this role, he supports operations across all the bank’s regions and leads on water governance, IWRM, and irrigation modernisation topics. Lance has 25 years of experience in New Zealand, United Kingdom, North Africa, and Asia. All projects include best practices on climate change, IWRM, application of technology, and sustainable operation and management. He has also been responsible for publishing various knowledge products and bank policy documents, convening water and irrigation seminars and forums, and speaking at a range of international conferences. Lance has a Master of Engineering (Civil) from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Dr Åse Johannessen
Joined the GWP Technical Committee in 2024
Dr Åse Johannessen is Senior Researcher and Team Lead at Deltares, a world-leading and mission-driven Dutch knowledge institute for water and the subsurface. At Deltares, she works with the International Panel on Deltas and Coasts (IPDC) and contributes to several EU Horizon projects, proposal development, and training, with her expertise on adaptation, risk reduction, governance, finance, and nature-based solutions for resilient and Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM).
Åse has 25 years of experience in water, working for international organisations such as the Global Center on Adaptation, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), International Water Association (IWA), Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Åse has a PhD and a post doc from the Delft University of Technology (TU-Delft) in The Netherlands, and Lund University, Sweden. She has an MSc in Biology from Stockholm University.
Dr Kenji Nagata
Joined the GWP Technical Committee in 2022
Kenji Nagata is a Senior Advisor on Water Resources and Disaster at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He holds PhD in International Studies from the University of Tokyo and is a Professional Engineer on Civil Engineering in Japan. Dr. Nagata has been extending assistance to more than thirty developing countries as an engineer or advisor for 30 years in the water resources sector. He joined JICA in 2005 and has been leading and pursuing effective practice of Integrated Water Resources Management, and carried out water resources management projects in Indonesia, Philippines, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, Bolivia, Brazil, and other countries.
Dr Franz Rojas-Ortuste
Joined the GWP Technical Committee in 2023
Dr Franz Rojas-Ortuste is Director of Water and Sanitation Analysis Division at CAF - development bank of Latin America, leading business intelligence and the inception and design of water and sanitation projects, knowledge management and the international water agenda.
He chairs the Water Finance Coalition (WFC) that integrates many international, regional, and national Public Development Banks, and Task-force Lead at the World Water Council 2019-2022 and 2023-2025, being Alternate Governor during 2019-2022.
Franz holds a Ph.D. in Government and Public Policy graduated with excellence; Master of Science in Hydraulic Engineering and Suma Cum Laude Civil Engineer from UNAM-Mexico. He has over 30 years of professional experience in the Water Sector in LAC, Asia and Africa, including collaboration with the World Bank, GIZ, KfW, AECID, EU, ECLAC, among others.
Ms Anju Sharma
Joined the GWP Technical Committee in 2024
Anju Sharma is an experienced sustainable development consultant who leads the work on Locally Led Adaptation at the Global Center on Adaptation. She has been Deputy Director of Oxford Climate Policy, and Head of the Policy and Publications Unit of the European Capacity Building Initiative, where she trained developing country negotiators on issues such as climate finance, technology, and adaptation. She initiated a Women Climate Leaders of the UNFCCC network, for women holding leadership positions in the UNFCCC process to meet and exchange knowledge and experiences; support each other; and mentor other women negotiators.
Anju has written, edited and contributed to seminal publications such as Dying Wisdom: Traditional Water Harvesting Systems of India and Green Politics: Global Environmental Negotiations.
Anju is an Associate with the Stockholm Environment Institute and has been a Consultant with the International Institute for Sustainable Development and Visiting Fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development. Anju has previously worked with the UN Environment Programme in Kenya, Oxfam GB in the UK, and the Centre for Science and Environment in India.
Mr Tom Williams
Joined the GWP Technical Committee in 2023
Tom Williams is a Senior Director, Nature Action at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and leads WBCSD’s work on accelerating the adoption of nature targets, strategies, and actions by business. Before joining WBCSD, Tom spent 14 years at the International Water Association (IWA), the largest global network of water professionals working on sustainable water management solutions. Tom’s IWA roles included Program Director and interim Executive Director. Tom has also consulted for the World Bank. He has worked in both developed and developing countries, collaborating with a range of stakeholders including government, research institutes, businesses, donor agencies, UN agencies, and NGOs.