Simon Langan, director of the water program, will be leaving International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA) in May 2019 to start a new position as director of data analytics and country manager at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Sri Lanka.
Langan has been a part of IIASA since 2016. Since that time, he has played a role in the development and success of the Water Program, which assisted and developed work with the Uganda government and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission on the Water Futures and Solutions (WFaS) initiative. Through the program, Langan has:
- Developed the Integrated Solutions for Water, Energy, and Land (ISWEL).
- Produced an extensive number of publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as policy-related analyses, including over 140 papers, technical reports, books/chapters and conference proceedings.
- Worked with stakeholders at global and local scales to identify policy options and technical solutions to achieve water-dependent Sustainable Development Goals.
“I have had a fantastic time at IIASA. It has been a privilege to work as part of a team focused on identifying both issue and potential solution options for improved water management of global and large, trans-boundary river systems,” Langan said. “I hope in return I have influenced thinking on enhancing wide and varied stakeholder engagement. I will continue to work with IIASA over the coming years and endeavor to further develop collaboration through the senior guest scholar post I have been offered.”
Langan holds a doctoral degree in land use and water quality from the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom (UK). His PhD was followed by a three-year post-doctoral fellowship at the Imperial College in London, UK. His subsequent project and organizational experience have been with various international organizations and centered on a multi/interdisciplinary approach.
Throughout his career, Langan has won grants and secured funding from regional and international donor projects, including from the private sector, the EU 7th Framework, Natural Environment Research Council, National Power, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, USAID, and Canadian Government.
