Renewable and Organic Nexus for Water Treatment, Adaptation, Transformation, Engagement and Resilience 

Expertise and references

Focus of expertise lies in the fields of nature based and near natural solutions for decentral water treatment and resource
management, rural development and agricultural practices, river basin management and climate change
adaptation.

  • Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) — Urban River Management Plans (2025–); District Ganga Plans / DGPs (2021–2023; 2024–); KAPRIMO (2006–2008): integrated river/catchment assessments; pollution-source and pressure analysis; prioritisation of measures; district/river-basin action planning and M&E frameworks; water monitoring incl. sampling/analysis to support restoration planning.

  • Nature Based Solutions (NBS) — AgreeMAR (2022–2025); SMART Control (2019–2022); SUBSOL (2015–2018); SpreeWasser:N (2022–2025): MAR/NBS feasibility assessment and site screening; real-time monitoring & control concepts for infiltration/recharge; drought-resilience concepts; risk assessment and decision-support inputs for nature-based adaptation.

  • Climate Change Adaptation — Ischia Adaptation Investment Options (2022–2023); SpreeWasser:N (2022–2025); Capacity Development Package for Adaptation Planning (2020–2021); District Ganga Plans / DGPs (2021–2023; 2024–): climate risk and vulnerability assessment (floods, droughts, landslides); identification and appraisal of adaptation options for water supply and catchments; integration of adaptation into local planning and financing; governance/instrument review and M&E design.

  • Climate Mitigation with Renewable Energies & circular economy — Reef2Water (2017–2020); Reuse/Recycle/Zero Liquid Discharge Framework (2019–2020): wastewater-to-energy and energy-efficiency concepts in WWTPs (incl. co-fermentation); feasibility and policy/regulatory work enabling circular water management; industrial water reuse standards and pathways to reduce energy/water footprints.

  • Natural and Near Natural Water Treatment — SustainWater MED (2012–2016); Safe Water Chatra (2016–); ECO-India (2012–2016): design/assessment of low-energy and community-oriented treatment and reuse options; pilots and operational concepts for safe drinking water supply; linkage of treatment performance with environmental and socio-economic criteria.

  • Participatory Co-Design — District Ganga Plans / DGPs (2021–2023; 2024–); Urban River Management Plans (2025–); EO4SD (2016–2019): multi-stakeholder workshops and consultations; user-needs assessment and validation loops; co-development of plans, measures, and implementation roadmaps with institutions and end users.

  • Decentral Solutions — BORDA Evaluation (2023); Safe Water Chatra (2016–); ECO-India (2012–2016): assessment and strengthening of decentralized/community water services; evaluation of delivery models and service chains; technical recommendations for scalable, locally operated solutions.

  • Agro Ecology and Permaculture — Edufarm Water Concept (2024–); Climate Smart Agriculture review (2024): regenerative farm water-cycle design (harvesting, storage, infiltration, efficient irrigation, greywater recycling); evidence-based synthesis of CSA options linking water, resilience, and sustainable land management.

Research experience with the identification, development, implementation, evaluation and performance
monitoring of innovative and sustainable solutions for water and climate challenges

  • SpreeWasser:N (2022–2025): applied research on hydrological sensitivity to extremes; governance and instrument research; socio-economic assessment of water use and conflict potentials.

  • SMART Control (2019–2022): development/testing of real-time monitoring and control concepts for MAR; risk assessment and user-oriented application concepts with end users.

  • EO4SD – Water Resources Management (2016–2019): user-oriented review of Earth Observation products; stakeholder engagement assessment; recommendations for capacity building and technical development.

  • SUBSOL (2015–2018): market and framework analyses supporting adaptation of subsurface water solutions across regions; business cases and decision-support tools.

  • DESSIN (2014–2017): research activities (interviews, market analyses, commercialization and framework analyses) to support innovation uptake in the water sector.

  • Climate Smart Agriculture & True Cost Accounting review (2024): synthesis of state-of-the-art research; identification of research gaps and upscaling/replication opportunities

Development cooperation experience with technological and socio-economic needs assessment, awareness
and ownership generation, participatory concept developmen and co-design of implementation plans, capacity
building as well as monitoring and evaluation of performance

  • Support to Ganga Rejuvenation / District Ganga Plans (2021–2023; 2024–): institutional strengthening of District Ganga Committees; planning support for pollution control and river rejuvenation with stakeholder engagement.

  • Capacity development package for adaptation planning (2020–2021): needs-based, gender-sensitive capacity development for local planning actors; integration of adaptation into local planning and financing.

  • Private sector adaptation programme (2014–2017): advisory approaches and pilots for MSMEs across multiple countries; awareness raising and capacity building instruments.

  • SustainWater MED (2012–2016): demonstration projects for wastewater reuse; regional knowledge exchange and capacity development; awareness raising for enabling environments.

  • BORDA Evaluation (2023): OECD-DAC oriented evaluation supporting BMZ-funded programme learning on decentralized services and SDG localization.

Methodological capacities in technical design, solution development and adaptation, technology transfer and cooperation,
capacity development and participatory co-creation, stakeholder dialogues, training and workshop concepts and
methods, stakeholder mapping and involvement, north-south and south-south knowledge and technology
transfer

  • Technical Conceptualisation and Design - ECO India (2012-2016) Safe Water Chatra (2016-2025) GIS based catchment deleneation, runoff calculations and rainwater harvesting structures, CAD based treatment process and plant design, development of DPR and tender cocuments

  • Solution development & adaptation — Climate Expert tool revision (2022–2023); Educlimate trainings (2024–): adapting tools and case studies; translating risk/impact assessments into action and M&E plans.

  • Technology transfer & cooperation — TNA for adaptation in the water sector (2018): technology screening, fact sheets, and study tour design to enable transfer and implementation.

  • Capacity development & participatory co-creation — DGP co-development and trainings (2024–): design of frameworks, training materials, GIS training, and multi-stakeholder workshops for plan finalization.

  • Stakeholder dialogues, mapping & engagement — AgreeMAR (2022–2025); EO4SD (2016–2019): stakeholder needs assessments, interviews/surveys, engagement design to align solutions with user demands.

  • Workshop and training concepts/methods — CAFRI package (2020–2021); Reef2Water (2017–2020): modular toolkits, trainer manuals, and hands-on formats to test and improve tools with practitioners.

  • Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) / performance monitoring — BORDA evaluation (2023); District Ganga Plans (2021–2023; 2024–): OECD-DAC evaluation logic; M&E plan development for multi-year programmes.