Dr Jan Wright
Day: Monday 19 September, 9.20am - 10.00am

Dr Jan Wright was sworn in as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment for a five-year term on 5 March 2007. Jan has a multidisciplinary background with a Physics degree from Canterbury, a Masters degree in Energy and Resources from Berkeley in California, and a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard. Prior to her current role, Jan worked as an independent policy and economic consultant for many different government agencies and as a member of various Crown Entity Boards. In the last year she has released reports on four major investigations – mining on conservation land, a strategic approach to biofuels, state of the environment reporting and, most recently, the greenhouse gases associated with large scale use of lignite. Another major part of the job is the provision of independent advice on Bills and other matters of interest before Select Committees. Jan is assisted in her role by a small office of talented staff.

Dr Russel Norman
Day: Tuesday 20th September, 8.30am

Dr Russel Norman is the co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. He is the Greens’ spokesperson on environment (freshwater), climate change, economics and finance, and sits on Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee. One of New Zealand’s preeminent fresh water campaigners, Russel is a vocal advocate for a strong National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.

Before working fulltime in politics, Russel worked in organic farming, in sheet metal fabrication, car assembly, as a tutor and as a researcher. He is passionate about working for change towards a sustainable, fair, peaceful and democratic Aotearoa. Russel entered politics in order to save the world - he thinks there’s still a bit of a way to go.

Prof. David Kay
Day: Tuesday 20 September, 9.00am - 10.00am
Title: Microbiology and the catchment paradigm: a community on the threshold of expanding opportunities!

Read Abstract (click here)

David Kay is Professor of Environment and Health at the University of Wales,  Aberystwyth. He has coordinated projects for the EU Framework programmes, UK research councils, WHO, World Bank, Water Companies, Governments and Regulators, in addition, he has acted as:

• specialist adviser to the House of Lords, European Communities Select Committee enquiry into the revision of the EU Bathing Water Directive;
• consultant to EU-DGXI on revised standards for bathing waters throughout the community;
• member Scientific Advisory Committee to NERC on the new Environment and Human Health Initiative;
• member of the WHO steering group on diffuse pollution from livestock wastes and the effects on human health;
• adviser to the WHO on recreational water Guidelines design and water-related risk assessment;
• consultant to WHO on the development of global disease burden assessment in the area of water and sanitation; and
• -adviser to USEPA on revision of the US Bathing water quality Guidelines.

Kevin Parris
Day: Friday 23 September, 8.30am - 8.55am
Title: Opportunities for lowering diffuse source water pollution from agriculture

Read Abstract (click here)

Economist, OECD, Paris, since 1984, working on policy analysis, with particular focus on agri-environmental issues, especially policy issues related to sustainable management of water in agriculture (quantity, quality and climate change) and monitoring environmental performance.

Graduated from University of Reading, United Kingdom (1974), and obtained a PhD in agricultural economics from Reading (1980). Previously held academic posts at the Universities of Wales (1977), Oxford (1982) and Reading (1980-81).

Previous research positions were held at the UK Foreign Affairs Ministry, London (1978-79); UNCTAD, Geneva (1982); FAO, Rome (1982-83); and was on secondment from OECD with the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), Canberra, for one year in 1992/93.

Websites:

Agriculture and Water: www.oecd.org/agriculture/water
Agri-environmental Indicators: www.oecd.org/tad/env/indicators
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAXd3Ool6RM

Eric Van Bochove
Day: Friday 23 September, 3.30pm

Dr. Eric van Bochove is Chairman of the IWA Diffuse Pollution Specialist Group. He was recently nominated as Director Bilateral Relations of the International Scientific Cooperation Bureau of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He has been research scientist 17 years with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Quebec. He worked in collaboration with specialists on nutrients, pathogens, pesticides, ground water, integrated pest management and hydrologic modelling, and with agri-environmental counsellors and producers. Dr. van Bochove led inter-disciplinary research projects on impacts of BMPs on water quality at the scale of intensive agricultural watersheds and the development of indicators on the risk of water contamination by phosphorus and coliforms from Canadian agricultural land. Dr. van Bochove was co-chair of Revision Working Group on the Phosphorus and non-point source pollution annexes of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In 2008, he was appointed as Canadian Co-Chair of the IJC (International Joint Commission) International Study Board on the Missisquoi Bay (Lake Champlain) P task force.