Honorary Professor Howard Bamsey appointed Chair of Global Water Partnership (GWP)

The following was originally published on the Global Water Partnership (GWP) website and has been adapted for this website.

The Global Water Partnership’s (GWP) Sponsoring Partners have selected RegNet’s Honorary Professor Howard Bamsey as the new Chair of GWP. The appointment is effective immediately.

Howard has been a prominent leader in public service and diplomacy in the environmental field, particularly climate change. His diplomatic career included time as Ambassador to the UN (Geneva); Chief Executive, Australian Greenhouse Office; Deputy Secretary, Department of Climate Change; and Special Envoy on Climate Change. Later, he was Director General of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and then Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). A graduate of the University of Queensland and Harvard Business School, he is also an Adjunct Professor at the ANU Climate Change Institute and the University of Sydney.

“Mr. Bamsey’s leadership style, as characterized by his deep strategic thinking, advocacy skills, belief in teamwork, and his extensive international network, will help GWP sail through a rapidly changing water world towards achievement of the SDGs. He will be able to build a bridge with those beyond the water sector – who need to take water into consideration as they make planning and investment decisions,” said Kenzo Hiroki, Chair of GWP’s Nomination Committee, which unanimously recommended Bamsey for approval by the Sponsoring Partners.

In accepting the position, Howard said, “I’m joining GWP because I have seen the network’s ability to mobilise a large and inclusive partnership that takes action on many levels to improve the way water is managed. The knowledge embedded with the network’s many partners is at the forefront of advancing water governance and a unique asset.”

Howard co-chaired the United Nations ‘Dialogue on Long-term Cooperative Action on Climate Change’ from 2006 to 2007 and served as Australia’s Special Envoy on Climate Change and Deputy Secretary at the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency from 2008 to 2010.

“We are excited to see Howard join GWP at a time when the network is developing its new strategy,” confirmed Monika Weber-Fahr, GWP’s Executive Secretary. “With his broad network and focus on climate change action, Howard will take us forward, enhancing our impact as we help water management and governance to serve the development agenda more broadly.”