About Us

The overall aim of the project is to improve the livelihood of woman, marginal and tenant farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains, through improved water use and increased dry season agricultural production.

The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) will lead the project, while IWMI will coordinate research on the ground and provide support to in-country partners. CSIRO Australia and The National University of Singapore (NSU) will provide additional research support. In Nepal the implementation of interventions will be carried out by the NGO iDE, and the Department of Irrigation (DoI). In West Bengal it will be carried out by the Government University, Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (UBKV), and the NGO, CDHI. In Bihar implementation will be carried out by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the NGO, Sakhi Bihar. Implementing partners will also support the research team by collecting field data. The groundwater analysis in Nepal will be carried out by the Groundwater Resources Development Board (GWRDB). In Bangladesh, CSIRO will take the lead, but with research support from local partner Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI). This project will work in collaboration with the ACIAR funded Sustainable Resilient Farming System Intensification (SRFSI) project lead by CIMMYT and project ACIAR CSE/2013/099, with IWMI staff shared across both projects.

Key Contacts
Australia Partners
Project leader: Australian commissioned organisation / commissioned IARC

Erik Schmidt
Deputy Director
CAE, University of Southern Queensland
Postal add: West Street, Toowoomba, Qld, 4350
Ph: +61 7 46311347
Fax: +61 7 4631 1870
Email: Erik.Schmidt@unisq.edu.au

Administrative Contact: Australian commissioned organisation / commissioned IARC

Jill Albion
Grants Manager
University of Southern Queensland
Postal add: West Street, Toowoomba, Qld, 4350
Ph: +61 7 4631 1892
Fax: +61 7 4631 1870
Email: Jill.albion@unisq.edu.au

Collaborating scientist: Australian commissioned organisation

Michael Scobie
Senior Research Engineer– Irrigation and Water Resources
CAE, University of Southern Queensland
Postal add: West Street, Toowoomba, Qld, 4350
Ph: +61 7 4631 1394
Fax: +61 7 4631 1870
Email: michael.scobie@unisq.edu.au

Collaborating scientist: Partner Country IARC

Dr. Fraser Sugden
Researcher – Social Sciences
IWMI, Nepal
Postal add: GPO Box 8975 EPC 416
Ph: +977 1 5542306
Fax: +977 1 5535743
Email: F.Sugden@cgiar.org

Collaborating scientist: Australian collaborating organisation

Dr. Mohammed Mainuddin
Senior Research Scientist
CSIRO Land and Water
Postal add: GPO Box 1666, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Street add: Black Mountain Laboratories, Clunes Ross St, Black Mountain ACT
Ph: +61 2 6246 5929
Fax: +61 2 6246 5965
Email: mohammed.mainuddin@csiro.au

India Partners
Collaborating scientist: NARES West Bengal, India

Dr Rupak Sarkar
Assistant Professor
Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya
Postal add: Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India
Ph: +91-9434317558
Email: rupaks19@yahoo.co.in

Collaborating scientist: NGO West Bengal, India

Mr. Dhananjay Ray
Chief Executive
Centre for the Development of Human Initiatives (CDHI)
Postal add: CDHI, Composite complex, P.O- Denguajhar, Dist-Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India.
Ph: +91-9434112200
Fax: +91-3561 255207
Email: rdjoy@rediffmail.com / rdjoy1@gmail.com

Collaborating scientist: NARES Bihar, India

Dr. BP Bhatt
Director – Research Complex for the Eastern Region
Indian Council for Agricultural Research
Postal add: ICAR Parisar, PO Bihar Veterinary College, Patna-80014, Bihar, India
Ph: +91 -6122228805, 2228882, 2223962
Fax: +91-6122223956
Email: Drbpbhatt.icar@yahoo.com, directoricarrcer@gmail.com

Collaborating scientist: NGO Bihar, India

Mrs. Suman Singh
Director
Sakhi Bihar
Postal add: Matsya Nagar, Bhagwatipur, Andhrathari, Madubani-847403, Bihar, India
Ph: +91-94310221204
Email: sahkipatna@rediffmail.com, sakhibihar@gmail.com

Nepal Partners
Collaborating scientist: NARES, Nepal

Mr. Shiva Kumar Sharma
Director General
Department of Irrigation
Postal add: GPO Box 21529, Kathmandu, Nepal
Ph: +977-1-5537310
Email: shiv1301@gmail.com; doi@info.com.np; madankc@gmail.com

Mr Basu Dev Aryal
Executive Director
Nepal Groundwater Resources Development Board
Postal add: Babamahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
Ph: +977-1-4262953, 4262406
Fax: +977-1-4262979
Email: aryalbd@gmail.com

Collaborating scientist: NGO, Nepal

Mr. Luke Colavito
Director
International Development Enterprises
Postal Add: PO Box 2674, Kathmandu, Nepal
Ph: +977-1-5520943
Fax: +977-1-5533953
Email: lcolovito@idenepal.org

Bangladesh Partner
Collaborating scientist: Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh

Dr. M. A. Rashid
Chief Scientific Officer, Irrigation and Water Management Division
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute
Postal add: Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
Ph: +880-2-9263669
Fax: +880-2-9261110
Email: arashidiwm@yahoo.com

Singapore Partner
Collaborating scientist: National University of Singapore

Professor Wu Xun
Associate Professor and Director, Institute of Water Policy
National University of Singapore
Postal add: 469 Bukit Timah Road #02-03A, Wing A, Level 2, Oei Tiong Ham Building, Singapore, 259772
Ph: +65 6516 3719
Email: sppwuxun@nus.edu.sg

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