Personal information

Water Systems, Agroforestry
Niger, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ecuador, Peru, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia

Biography

Dr. Mark Smith was appointed Director General of IWMI by its Board of Governors commencing 17 August 2020. Smith, formerly IWMI’s Deputy Director General – Research for Development, brings more than 25 years of research and program management experience in water resources, agriculture, climate and sustainability.

He was formerly Director – Global Water Programme, and Manager for Organizational Change at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and a Governor at the World Water Council. He has led innovative, multi-regional programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America addressing river basin management, climate change adaptation and nature-based solutions, and transboundary cooperation in water management.

He has a doctorate in ecology and resource management from the University of Edinburgh and a master’s in climatology from the University of Guelph.

Activities

Employment (9)

CGIAR: Montpellier, FR

2021-06 to present | Senior Director Water Systems
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

International Water Management Institute: Colombo, LK

2020-08 to present | Director General (Director General's Office)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

International Water Management Institute: Pelawatte, LK

2018-04-23 to 2020-08 | Deputy Director General
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

International Union for Conservation of Nature: Gland, Vaud, CH

2006-04-01 to 2018-03-31 | Water Management Advisor; Manager for Organizational Change; Director - Global Water Programme (Global Water Programme)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

Practical Action: Rugby, GB

2005-11 to 2006-04 | Policy Advisor
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, AU

2001-03 to 2004-12 | Senior Research Scientist
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology: Wallingford, Oxfordshire, GB

1995-01 to 2001-03 | Senior Scientific Officer
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh, GB

1991-02 to 1994-12 | Research Associate (Institute of Ecology and Resource Management)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

University of Guelph: Guelph, ON, CA

1988-09 to 1990-12 (Land Resource Science)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

Education and qualifications (3)

University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh, GB

1991 to 1994 | Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Ecology and Resource Management
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

University of Guelph: ON, ON, CA

1987 to 1990 | Master of Science (MSc), Agricultural Meteorology
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

University of Guelph: ON, ON, CA

1983 to 1987 | Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.Sc. (Agr.)), Crop Science, International Agriculture
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

Professional activities (2)

World Water Forum: Daegu and Gyeongbuk, KR

2015 to 2015 | Appointed co-Chair (Thematic Process Commission for the 7th World Water Forum (2015))
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith

World Water Council: Marseille, FR

2008 to 2015 | Elected Board Member and Governor (Board of Governors of the World Water Council)
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Mark Smith