Stephen Max Donkor ()

Dr. Stephen Max Donkor is the Senior Regional Adviser for Water Resources Development and Management at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and Coordinator of the UN Water/Africa Group. He is a naturalized Dutch citizen of Ghanaian descent. He is currently Vice-Chairman of UN Water Global and Chairman of the Steering Committee of the TIGER Project led by the European Space Agency and Advisor on behalf of UN system to the Gender and Water Alliance. He was born in Ghana in 1954 and was educated at the Mfantsipim College ( founded in 1875) at Cape Coast , Ghana and the University of Ghana where he obtained a Bachelor of Science ( Honours ) degree in 1977. After obtaining a Master of Science degree in Water Management at the Wageningen University of the Netherlands in 1979, he was employed and was instrumental in setting up the Land and Water Programme at the University of Surinam in South America. Between 1984 and 1991 , he studied for a Doctorate ( Ph.D) degree in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering at the Colorado State University in the United States whilst also serving as a Research Assistant.
From 1989 till 1997, he was employed by his Almer Mater , the Wageningen University as Senior Lecturer and successfully implemented Water Management Capacity Building Programs at the North West Frontier University in Peshawar , Pakistan ( WAMA Project) and the University of Botswana. During his appointment as Regional Adviser at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, He has made significant contributions to the preparation of the African Water Vision 2025, formulating African Water Facility and initiating the bi-annual African Water Development Report ( AWDR www.uneca.org/awich ) and the Semi-annual African Water Journal for which he is the current Editor. His Technical Assistance activities have included the organization of PANAFCON in 2003, support to the African Union in formulating the Sirte Declaration, developing a National Water Policy for Sierra Leone and contributing towards Africa's inputs at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th World Water Forums and well as the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) where he served on the Water Dome organizing committee.