Senior Research Fellow
International Food Policy Research Institute
Dr. Ruth Meinzen-Dick is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute. She learned the importance of water first-hand as a child, growing up in a semi-arid area of south India. A Development Sociologist with 20 years experience in research on water resources and natural resource management, she has published extensively on policies for water allocation; water rights; comparative analysis of irrigation system performance; operation of water markets; and local organizations for water management. She is co-editor of two recent volumes: Negotiating Water Rights and Innovation in Natural Resource Management: The Role of Property Rights and Collective Action in Developing Countries. These studies draw upon her field work in India, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Dr. Meinzen-Dick serves as Coordinator of the CGIAR System-wide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRi), involving 16 international agricultural research institutions and national partners. She serves on several professional bodies including the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership.