Our team
International team
Ben Furmage, WSCA CEO and RUCAS Program Lead – Ben leads multidisciplinary local and international projects supporting the valuation and application of water sensitive city approaches. He has extensive experience in water resource and sewerage system planning, utility regulation, customer service, public affairs, research and development.
Michael Simon, WSCA International Lead and RUCAS Program Manager – Michael is an experienced water and natural resource management leader. With over 2 decades working internationally, his work has spanned advocacy and campaigning, sustainable community development, corporate social responsibility, human rights and gender mainstreaming.
Katharine Cross, Nature-based Solutions Expert – Katharine is a seasoned professional in water resources and environmental management, with over 15 years of diverse experience across continents with NGOs, government, and private sectors. Her expertise spans climate resilience, nature-based solutions, water-energy-food nexus, governance, and urban watershed connectivity.
Dr Jianbin Wang, Engineering Expert – Jianbin translates research into practice and provides transformative responses to emerging urban challenges. He promotes multifunctional infrastructure and applies circular economy approaches to deliver water sensitive city visions at a range of spatial scales, using urban design, landscape architecture and industrial design as integrative platforms.
Tiange Wu, Landscape Architect – Tiange’s experience includes planning nature-based solutions, creating landscape designs to manage rainwater and flooding, using landscaping to mitigate urban heat, and researching the impact of landscaping on human wellbeing.
Professor Tony Wong, Stakeholder Expert – Tony is internationally recognised for his research and practice in sustainable urban water management. He has led many award-winning urban design projects in Australia and overseas, and has been commended for having defined ‘a new paradigm for design of urban environments that blends creativity with technical and scientific rigour’.
Hima Chanarithichai, Research Assistant – Hima is a research economist with experience in infrastructure finance, market research, economic and financial analysis, and business development.
Li Xia Southwick, Budgeting and Contracting – Li Xia provides high quality innovative solutions and advice formulated from advanced business planning, forecasting, modelling, analysis and reporting.
Jenny Flynn, Communications (content) – Jenny is an experienced professional economist and has 12 years’ experience providing freelance research, writing, editing and communications services.
Daniel Connellan, Communications (design and multimedia) – Daniel has spent the past 14 years designing and directing work for influential and forward thinking-brands. He specialises in graphic design, web development and video story telling.
Bruce Rhodes, Water Resources Specialist – His career of over 40 years has spanned consulting, Government and water utilities and has covered a range of water resources and bulk water management issues including; water security modelling and assessments, water entitlements management and reporting, climate change, the development of integrated water resource strategies.
Dr Kien Nguyen-Trung, Research Fellow – Kien Nguyen-Trung is an experienced applied sociologist working on various topics, including disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, vulnerability, water, social capital, gender inequality, and community development. He has designed and delivered effective training in qualitative research methods and software/AI applications in development contexts for over a decade.
Smriti Venkatraman, Researcher – Smriti has a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts (joint major in Economics and Environmental Studies) from Krea University (India). She is currently studying a Masters in Environment and Sustainability, specialising in corporate and leadership studies at Monash University.
National team
Viet Nam
Regional team
Dr Le Song Ha, Regional Coordinator and National Water Engineer Viet Nam – Ha has more than 14 years’ experience in hydrology, hydraulic and water quality fieldwork and modelling for watershed management, flood and water availability studies, and drainage and sewer planning and design, with emphasis on nature-based solutions and climate change resilience.
Regional team
Mai Ky Vinh, GIS and Spatial Planning Specialist - Vinh is GIS expert. He owns 30 year-working experiences in applying GIS, stakeholder consultation, and remote sensing into natural resource management, spatial planning, climate change assessment, hazard assessment and adaptation planning, nature-based solution and ecosystem-based adaptation planning, biodiversity and nature conservation, land-use planning, forest cover mapping and monitoring.
Vu Xuan Nguyet Hong, National Economist – Hong has an extensive career as an economist, working for both the government and private sectors. Her work covers topics such as infrastructure for resilient and sustainable economic development, valuing the benefits of using nature-based solutions to manage urban flooding and assessing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vuong Thu Huong, National Coordinator – Huong has over a decade of professional experience, predominantly in project coordination and management for international agencies and government stakeholders. She has worked agencies such as GEF/UNDP, WB, ADB, USAID, IFC, AWP, AfD, FAO, DHI, Arep, SRC, KOICA, UNIS, MONRE, MPI, MOD and MoF.
Cambodia
Dr Phanith Chou, National Economist – Phanith is a resources economist. He is passionate about REDD+ for climate mitigation and economic feasibility of nature-based solutions, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services valuation, climate adaptation and agricultural value chains.
Chreay Chamroeun, National Water Engineer – Chamroeun has more than 25 years’ experience supporting governments to create climate resilient rural and urban infrastructure, focusing on vulnerable communities and green infrastructure. Projects include irrigation, drainage, sewerage planning, design and cost estimation and capacity building on climate change and climate resilient flood and drought.
Toy Monireth, National Coordinator – Moni has over 15 years’ experience working with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Cambodia, providing coordination and support for multi‐stakeholders to exchange experiences, thoughts and information. She also has considerable experience organising forums, platforms and training.
Lao PDR
Lamom Khounvisith, National Economist – Lamom is an economist, with experience working on projects related to rural development, gender issues, resettlement and compensation, business surveys, economic and financial analysis, and project management.
Dr Amphone Vongvixay, National Water Engineer – Amphone is civil engineer with extensive experience in developing and assessing critical water and urban infrastructure, collecting and analysing hydrological and hydraulic data, and working on projects to improve livelihoods and socioeconomic conditions in urban areas.
Nilaphone Chanthachack, National Coordinator – Nilaphone is an experienced project coordinator, working on projects related to sustainable land use, haze mitigation, agricultural production and food security, and trade.
Thailand
Dr Kamonnat Meetaworn, National Economist – Kamonnat has more than 20 years’ experience, working on projects such as valuing the benefits of using nature-based solutions to manage urban flooding, developing wastewater management systems and encouraging economic development.
Pisesporn Wasawong, National Economist – Pisesporn is currently completing his PhD in Economics at Chulalongkorn University, specialising in Agricultural Economics, Industrial Economics and International Trade and Investment.
Detchphol Chitwatkulsiri, National Water Engineer – Detchphol is a water engineer, working on projects related to climate change adaptation, extreme event analysis, rainfall forecasting, hydraulic overland flow simulation, land use change and urban flood management.
Panjit Tansom, National Coordinator – Panjit has 15 years’ experience delivering and managing projects related to environmental issues, including wildlife crime, law enforcement, law development, governance, timber trade and supply chain management.
Explore more research, guidelines and
tools related to the following topics:
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