South Asia
Our work in South Asia is focused on India, Nepal and Bangladesh, where we combine bold thinking, robust science and unique insight to deliver smart, practical and cost-effective development solutions.
We work collaboratively with funders, governments, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and private businesses to develop inclusive and ecosystem-based approaches that tackle the growing threats of climate change and rapid urbanisation. This includes improving approaches to water management, and the planning, design and delivery of nature-based solutions that build resilience for local communities and the private sector.
Leadership staff in region
Our people are our greatest strength. We employ a range of scientists, economists, engineers and natural resource managers.
Dr Girija Bharat
Director
Dr Girija K Bharat, is an international expert with 30 years of experience in research and capacity building activities on water quality, water supply & sanitation, water resource management, chemical and plastic pollution, and environmental management. She is the Founder Director of Mu Gamma Consultants Private Limited, Gurgaon, India. She started her career as a <strong>Scientist</strong> in Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Government of India and was a <strong>Presidential Scholar</strong> at George Mason University, USA. She has worked with many institutions including The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), The World Bank. She has 83 national and international publications, including the <strong>Global Sustainable Development Report</strong>, 2015 and 16. She is currently drafting the <strong>National Policy of India on Safe Reuse of Treated Wastewater.</strong> She is a Ph.D. in Chemistry (Water Quality) and a member of American Chemical Society (ACS); <strong>Iota-Sigma-Pi (</strong><strong>ΙΣΠ</strong><strong>) - an Honor Society for Women in Chemistry</strong> in the US. She is the recipient of several awards including the <strong>Global Environment Award</strong> 2020, <strong>Aqua Excellence </strong>Award 2020.
Rajiv Dube
Director
Rajiv Dube is a highly experienced board member and sustainability champion with global experience. He has over three and a half decades of industry experience, at the apex level in two of the largest and global industrial houses in India (TATA and Aditya Birla), and now sits on associated boards. Rajiv has created and managed multi-billion dollar businesses as well as being involved in shaping group level governance and service delivery at the two Indian multi-national conglomerates. An avid sustainability practitioner, he was an alternate Council Member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Geneva and has been active on several industry bodies. Rajiv has a continuing interest in trade and investment, industry-academia collaboration, science and technology, board governance & sustainability. Rajiv is currently an advisory board member and Professor of Practice at the Deakin Business School.
Advait Madav
Regional Manager - South Asia
Advait is an experienced water professional working with Alluvium in Australia and across the Indo-Pacific on Integrated Water Management and Climate Resilience. Advait holds an engineering background with a Master’s Degree in International Urban and Environmental management. Through his work bringing the Australian and Indo-Pacific water sectors together, he aims to enable the sharing of knowledge and create connections to inspire improved sustainable water management.<br><br>Internationally, Advait’s experience covers a wide range of projects covering ecosystem based adaptation, climate resilient urban water planning, and basin scale water management. Advait has worked with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Country Governments across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Viet Nam, Lao PDR and Myanmar. For example, Advait is currently leading a project for the Government of Nepal and DFAT to provide Technical Assistance for developing a climate resilient water supply model for optimum intake of water from diverse water sources. Advait has also previously worked with the DFAT-funded Australian Water Partnership (AWP) for river basin planning and water sensitive city projects in India. Advait has demonstrated strong governance and management processes that help deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients.<br><br>In Australia, Advait has worked on diverse streams of urban water management including integrated water management plan (IWMP), water sensitive urban design (WSUD), and urban water policy framework. It includes an understanding of drainage schemes and concept & functional designs for onsite stormwater retention and management. Advait understands the fundamentals of IWM and is able to develop water balance analysis, strategy and models to make the best use of stormwater at lot, street, and city scale.
