Patricia Wouters

Introduction

Professor Dr Patricia Wouters is the Director of The Unesco Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science based at Dundee, Scotland.

"Professor Dr Patricia Wouters leads an inter/multi-disciplinary team of water law, policy and science experts at the University of Dundee, Scotland. Professor Wouters established the graduate water law programme at Dundee in 1996 and has worked since then to build the capacity and range of expertise in the unit....The Dundee UNESCO IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science is the first UNESCO Centre in the UK and the first of its kind in the world" .

Biography

"Professor Wouters (Canadian and Belgian national) began her university studies at the University of Ottawa (Canada), where she completed a BA (gold medalist) and LLB (cum laude). Following close to a decade in legal practice (Alberta, Canada), Pat pursued graduate studies (in law) at Berkeley, California (on a scholarship award), where she completed an LLM (comparative constitutional law). From there, she continued her graduate studies, moving to Switzerland (with an international scholarship) to study at the Graduate Institute of International Studies / University of Geneva (public international law, with a focus on water law). During her PhD research work, Pat was invited to be a visiting Research Fellow at the Max-Planck Institute for Comparative Public and International Law (Heidelberg, Germany) where she completed her dissertation. From Heidelberg, Pat was recruited to Dundee where she established the graduate programme in water law and policy (1996). Since then, Dundee has established an international reputation in the area of water law and policy. Professor Wouters has visited some 50+ countries around the world, where she has presented her research and provided expert advice on water law and policy. Pat works now to implement the “Water Law, Water Leaders” programme with the objective to develop a new generation of “local water leaders”, working closely with the Dundee team and its Global Faculty of experts from around the globe" . .

Patricia Wouters and Suez

Dr Wouters is a member of Suez's Foresight Advisory Council, Suez themselves mention little of this council, thus the work that it does remains something of a mystery. In 2004 Dr Patricia Wouters made clear that major improvements in the world's water supplies will require private investment. "We are deluding ourselves if we think the public sector can meet the demand without new money from the private sector" she said . Coincidentally, Dr Patricia Wouters has also recently met the Chief Executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, Alan Sutherland. He travelled to Dundee to see her on the 3 March 2007 and delivered a lecture there on the 22 March 2007

Affiliations and memberships

• World Economic Council – invited to be member of Global Think Tank Group on Global Water Scarcity.
• Global Water Partnership – named to Technical Experts Committee (TEC).
• World Water Assessment Programme – invited to co-chair Legal Experts Group for WWAP and World Water Development Report (Istanbul 2009)
• Foresight Advisory Committee (SUEZ); invited to be member.
• Scotland UNESCO Committee; appointed to national board.
• Xiamen Asian Academy of International Law, invited to give lecture at inaugural session of the Academy (“New Dimensions of the International Law that governs shared Transboundary Waters”) 10-14 Sept 2006 (Xiamen, China).
• Invited as international expert on Expoagua Zaragoza 2008 to assist with planning for International Exhibition Zaragoza 2008, (14 June – 14 Sept 2008, Zaragoza, Spain).
• Fellow, International Water Resources Association.