Also known as the Waterman of India, Rajendra Singh, is a highly respected water warrior and social activist working with water and river issues in India. Over 35years Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), the organisation he set up to further this work, has helped the villagers build more than 12,000 water bodies (called Johads) and revived 9 rivers, dry for eighty years. Rajendra Singh has been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leaders in 2001 and the Stockholm Water Prize in 2015.

Maulik Sisodia is an Executive Director of Tarun Bharat Sangh. His interests are in policy level issues related to rivers and water resources. His expertise is in implementing projects at a grass roots level with the end beneficiary being the most underprivileged. He also helps initiate campaigns at national level for these causes. http://tarunbharatsangh.in/

Ashok Kumar Meena graduated from the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, India. Working as an Independent filmmaker and freelance cinematographer, he has 7 years experience making social issue documentaries and fiction films. His film KOSA, about land grabs and tribals in India , was screened at the Raindance Festival in 2020 as well as the International Film Festivals of Kerala and Kolkatta.

Michal Kravcík,is a founding member and Chairman of the NGO People and Water International. He promotes sustainable programs for integrated river basin management in Slovakia, “Water for Third Millenium” and Blue Alternative. He is the author of publications including, “New Water Paradigm – Water for the Recovery of Climate” (2007), www.waterparadigm.org . He is an ASHOKA Fellow and recipient Goldman Environmental Prize from 1999.

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People and Water International

Mark’s interests include the design, implementation and data analyses/modelling of hydrological catchment monitoring experiments. For these catchment experiments to be successful, he considers local stakeholder involvement and the correct use of data driven hydrological models as vital components towards a successful uptake and a good understanding of the catchment processes at different scales. Mark currently coordinates research providing evidence to the Scottish Government for mitigating and adapting to flood risk using Natural Flood Management techniques.

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Marc is a Senior Scientist at the James Hutton Institute and leads the Managing Catchments and Coasts team at the Institute to develop and apply knowledge and tools for improving delivery of integrated catchment management across issues of water quality, flooding, resource use efficiency and water-energy links. He is also the Lead of the Scottish Government’s research theme on Safe and Sustainable Supply Chains for Water and Renewable Energy and a Member of the Management Committee for the Dee Catchment Partnership.

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Dana Kravčiková is an expert in mapping and landscape surveying. She has years of experience in managing projects from concept phase to completion. Her background in project management ranges from publicly financed projects such as from Norway Grants, the EU and Slovak municipal & regional governments to privately funded projects sought out by the private sector. Co-author of a number of publications on climate change topic.

People and Water International

For over 25 years Minni Jain has been working with communities to regenerate their landscapes and lives. As Operations Director of the Flow Partnership, she works on community-led management of floods and droughts using simple, low-cost traditional methods. She coordinates Waterways World– a practical water school of landscape regeneration skills and methods to achieve replenishment of the world’s water bank and has also helped set up the One Pond Fund to enable communities worldwide to resource their water projects.

Paul has worked closely with Defra and the Environment Agency and many rural organisations and NGO’s, such as Natural England, The Rivers Trusts, CPRE and RSPB in catchment management. His work focuses on a wide range of soft engineered interventions for diffuse pollution management and flood risk mitigation (including, ponds, wetlands, riparian and ditch management). Awarded the Robert Stephenson prize ICE North East 2015 for the Belford flood management project, Paul also was a Special Advisor to the Houses of Parliament Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee on 'The Future of Flooding'.

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Philip Franses uses his expertise in holistic thinking to address global challenges through multi-stakeholder processes. He works on different financial mechanisms for communities to help them restore water to its vital place within the cycles of nature. Philip studied mathematics at New College, Oxford, UK and has worked designing intelligent software for a variety of organisations. Philip teaches Holistic Science, is Editor in Chief of the Holistic Science Journal and is the author of Time Light and the Dice of Creation.

Holistic Science Journal

Nipun Dayachandra is a recent graduate who is fascinated by all thing’s technology. Having recently completed an MSc in Computer Science, Nipun is passionate about contributing to the advancement of technology, especially in relation to its potential for improving people’s quality of life.