John Soussan is a Professor in the Stockholm Environment Institute and is Science Director of the SEI Asia Centre in Bangkok.  His work focuses on the people-resource-policy relationships in developing countries, with in particular a focus on Asia.  A geographer by training, John has extensive experience in the management of inter-disciplinary approaches in different aspects of sustainable development and has a track record of major projects funded by a range of organisations, including bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, UN agencies and environmental NGOs.  He has made a significant contribution to sustainable development policy formulation at both national level and for international agencies in fields such as water management, coastal zone development, community forestry and the mainstreaming of environmental issues into national development policies.  John has worked in over 50 countries and has expertise in a range of environment and development issues including water resources, energy, strategic environmental assessment, community forestry, service and infrastructure planning, coastal zone development, livelihoods analysis, poverty reduction strategies and policy development. 

Education and Training

1984 PhD, Geography School of Geography, University of Leeds

1977 BA Geography, School of Geography, University of Leeds

Selected Assignments (last 10 years)

• 2009-10 Team Leader, assessment of ecosystems services and preparation of scenarios on ecosystems services – national development in China, funded by CIDA

• 2009 Team Leader, assessment of the Economics of Land Degradation for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

• 2009-2011 Policy Advisor, Regional Multi-stakeholder Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia.

• 2009 Team Leader, scoping of a Strategic Environmental Assessment of Mekong River mainstream dams for the Mekong River Commission.

• 2008-09 Team Leader, design mission for the preparation of a Forest-Livelihoods Program for the Solomon Islands, commissioned by AusAID.

• 2008-09 Member, Task Force on Ecosystem Services, for the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

• 2008 Team Leader, AusAID study on Drivers of Good Practice in Programme 135-2, Viet Nam.

• 2008 Policy Advisor, preparation of a rural development strategy for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Viet Nam. 

• 2008 Advisor to the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme on mainstreaming environmental and related issues.

• 2007 Advisor to UN Habitat to prepare a five year Water Supply and Sanitation Programme.

• 2007-08 Co-Team Leader, Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Hydropower Sector in Viet Nam, funded by the ADB.

• 2007 Advisor, study on Multiple Use Water Systems for the Gates Foundation.

• 2007 Team Leader, evaluation of Capacity Development in the GEF Programme in Viet Nam.

• 2007-08 Team Leader for UNEP Global Programme of Action to prepare guidelines for mainstreaming coastal and marine resource.

• 2007 Team Leader, Water-Poverty Linking Study for the AfDB.

• 2006 Support to the development of Program 135, Viet Nam, 

• 2006 Review of AfDB water initiatives, sponsored by Sida, Danida and Norad.  

• 2005-06 Policy Advisor, partnership for the rural water supply and sanitation sector, Viet Nam.

• 2005-06 Team Leader provincial-level awareness and poverty targeting for the water supply and sanitation sector in Viet Nam.

• 2005 Advisor, Task Force to assist in drafting the MARD, Viet Nam five year plan 2006 – 2010.

• 2004-06 Lead author joint agency paper on Poverty Reduction and Water Management for the Poverty Environment Partnership.  

• 2004-05 Advisor to ADB on the preparation of a joint review (with ESCAP and UNDP) on progress towards the MDGs in Asia.  

• 2004-05 Team Leader, joint Government of Viet Nam – donor review of rural water supply and sanitation sector in Viet Nam.  

• 2003-04 Consultant to ADB in Water for the Poor Partnership in Viet Nam.

• 2003 Advisor, UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs, for the Dushanbe International Fresh Water Forum, Tajikistan.

• 2003-06 Consultant to the Netherlands Climate Change Assistance Programme.

• 2003-04 Team Leader, Global Environment Facility assessment of the impact of global environmental programmes on local benefits.  

• 2002 Consultant to IUCN to prepare a position paper on water, poverty and sustainable ecosystems management.

• 2002 Delegate for the ADB to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

• 2002-2004 Advisor on coastal development policy and planning in Bangladesh.

• 2001-2006 Consultant to the ADB on regional consultations on Poverty & Water Security.

• 2001 Mission to Attapeu Province, Lao PDR to assist IUCN to develop a conservation and sustainable management programme for the Lower Mekong Basin.

• 2001-2003 Expert Group Member, International Task Force on Climate Change, Adaptation and Vulnerable Communities.

• 2001-2002 Team Leader, preparation of a concept paper & strategy on Water & Poverty for the Global Water Partnership.

• 2001 Advisor to GTZ for the International Conference on Freshwater, Bonn, December 2001.

• 2001-2002 Advisor to the United Nations in preparation of chapters on key drivers of water development and on water resources policies 

• 2001 Team Leader, strategy for Netherlands support to the environmental sector in Mozambique.

• 2001 Advisor to the Netherlands for policy papers on Water & Poverty and A Sectoral Approach to Water Resources.

• 2000-2001 Advisor to DFID, the Netherlands and the World Bank on the coastal zone management programme in Bangladesh.

• 2000 Advisor to the Netherlands for a strategy paper on the evaluation of international experiences and development of a sectoral approach to integrated water resources management.

• 2000 Team Leader, evaluation of the Eco-development and Irrigation Project, Laos.

• 2000-2004 Advisor on Integrating Water Supply and Sanitation with Catchment Management in South Africa and India

• 2000 Team Leader, evaluation of the ARA-SUL water management project in Mozambique.

• 2000-2004 Team Leader, DFID-funded research project on The Impact of Policies on Sustainable Livelihoods.  

• 2000 Senior Advisor, Ministerial Conference on Water Security in the 21st Century, the Hague, March 2000

• 1999 Team Leader, review of the Environment and Geographical Information Support project in Bangladesh 

• 1999 Team Leader, preparation of an evaluation of the Impact of Netherlands Assistance to the Water Sector on Institutional Change.

• 1999 Team Leader, evaluation of the Netherlands Water Supply & Sanitation Programme in Gujarat, India.

• 1999 Team Leader, evaluation of the UNCDF Mirpur Resettlement Project in Bangladesh.  

• 1999 Team Leader, preparatory process for an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme in Bangladesh.

• 1999 Advisor to IUCN, to prepare a paper on Freshwater Ecosystems Management & Social Security.