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One Water Many Futures will feature both international and local keynote and invited speakers to challenge and stimulate.
The Conference Organising Committee is vey pleased to be able to announce the following keynote speakers;
Professor Kader Asmal, University of Western Cape, South Africa
Dr Sandra Postel, Director Global Water Policy Project, USA
Professor Chandra Madramootoo, Dean Faculty of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences McGill University Canada
Dr Keith Bristow,Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO, Program Leader of the CRC for Irrigation Futures System Harmonisation Program and Honorary Professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
Peter Hayes, Chair of CRC for Irrigation Futures
Jim Taliangis SA Water
Chris Thompson, Director Agricultural Resource Management
George Warne, CEO State Water
Other speakers will be announced in the lead up to the conference.
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Professor Kader Asmal
Kader Asmal was Minister of Water Affairs (1994 – 1999) and Minister of Education (1999 - 2004) in the Mandela Government of the Republic of South Africa. Since retiring from parliament, Kader has been appointed Professor Extraordinaire in the Faculty of Law of the University of Western Cape, Cape Town, and Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town. As Minister of Water Affairs, Professor Asmal oversaw the development of South Africa’s new water legislation. In contrast to Australia, South Africa has abolished its private rights system and introduced a public rights system of water allocation.
Kader Asmal was the Chairperson of the World Commission on Dams from 1997 to 2001 and is a previous Vice President of the World Commission on the Oceans. He is currently Patron of the Global Water Partnership. In 2000, he was awarded the Stockholm Water Prize. He has been a driving force in the development of South Africa’s progressive water legislation.
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Dr Sandra Postel
Sandra Postel directs the independent Global Water Policy Project, based in New Mexico, USA and has recently been appointed as the National Geographic Society's first Freshwater Fellow, serving as lead water expert on the Society's freshwater initiative.
Sandra’s previous roles include, Vice President for Research at the Worldwatch Institute, a non-profit environmental research organisation and in 2002 was named one of the Scientific American 50 by Scientific American magazine, an award recognising contributions to science and technology.
Sandra is a leading authority and prolific author on international water issues, including Pillar of Sand: Can the Irrigation Miracle Last?, Last Oasis: Facing Water Security, and Rivers for Life managing water for people and nature.
Sandra has been awarded two honorary Doctor of Science Degrees, the Duke University School of Environment’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and a Pew Scholar’s Award in Conservation and the Environment. She also holds a lifetime chair with the International Water Academy in Oslo, Norway.
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Prodessor Chandra Madramootoo
Professor Chandra Madramootoo currently holds the prestigious position of Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Canada, and is a Professor in the Department of Bioresource Engineering. He is an internationally respected expert in watershed management, irrigation, drainage and international agriculture development. He is the current President of the International Commission of Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) and Chair of Canadian National Committee of Irrigation and Drainage.
Professor Madramootoo played a pivotal role in the formation of Valacta – a centre of expertise for dairy production in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, as well as with the creation of the Alliance pour l’innovation en Agroalimentaire – a Quebec research, technology and innovation network serving the agri-food sector.
Chandra Madramootoo has an extensive list of published works and keynote presentations at national and international conferences and symposia, has supervised the research work of 75 MSc and PhD students and been recognised nationally and internationally with several awards
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Dr Keith L. Bristow is a Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO, Program Leader of the CRC for Irrigation Futures System Harmonisation Program and Honorary Professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
He is a soil physicist/hydrologist by training with more than 20 years experience in scientific leadership and research. He has conducted research nationally and internationally in irrigated systems, integrated water management, coastal floodplains, groundwater systems, vadose zone hydrology and soil and environmental physics. He has also led large-scale multidisciplinary and multi-organisational projects addressing irrigation and integrated water resources management across northern Australia.
Keith was born in South Africa where he completed his initial studies in physics at the University of Natal. He then studied soil physics and hydrology in the USA before immigrating to Australia in 1983. He maintains extensive national and international collaborative networks and has served as a member on several national and international committees and reference groups. Keith is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America, Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, and was recently awarded the Don and Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Award, the first Australian to receive this prestigious international award.
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Peter Hayes
Peter has been Board Chair of the CRC for Irrigation Futures since its inception in 2003. Peter is also currently involved in a number of activities across the wine sector in Australia and internationally.
In 2006 he was elected President of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine for three years (2006 – 2009) and is currently Vice President of this organisation.
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Through his role in SA Water Jim has been instrumental in developing the Water Proofing Adelaide Strategy No. 33, code of practice for Irrigation of Open Spaces, he has expertise in industrial and commercial water efficiency initiatives, and a range of successful residential water saving programs. Jim’s knowledge and expertise in water saving initiatives can be found in all community segments.
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Chris Thompson
Chris Thompson has over 30 years of experience in water resource development, management and measurement. Chris is Director of one of Australia’s leading agricultural project management organisation, Agricultural Resource Management (ARM).
Currently, Chris is Lead Consultant for the Tasmanian Irrigation Development Board, a company established to develop regionally significant irrigation schemes in Tasmania. Previously working with the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry and Water and in consultancy organisations he has had responsibility for feasibility studies in the development of various Tasmanian water schemes and engineering and on site responsibilities for several dam and pipeline projects.
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George Warne
Since 2007 George has been the CEO of State Water. Prior to this, George spent 15 years as General Manager and CEO or Murray Irrigation Limited where he developed a strong reputation in the industry. George is enthusiastic about managing water for the variety of users in NSW and is focussed on ensuring State Water understands and delivers on customers’ needs.
Since his appointment George has focussed on improved service delivery and greater value for customers. Under George’s direction, State Water is undertaking multi-million dollar critical infrastructure projects while improving delivery of water and services throughout the state. His direct approach and focus on efficiency has led to a more streamlined, future-focused organisation intent on meeting the challenges of managing the lifeblood of the land.
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