David Molden
Member, Board of Governors
Areas of expertise
Board of GovernorsDavid Molden (United States) is a consultant on agriculture water management to the World Bank.
He joined the Board in December 2024.
Molden’s journey with water started in Lesotho, where as a volunteer teacher, he worked with villagers to install a hand pump for clean water. Witnessing the transformative impact of water on the community inspired him to pursue a career in water management. Since then, he has gained extensive experience across the globe, including residing in Lesotho, Botswana, Egypt, Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. Molden’s expertise spans water and natural resources management, and he excels in bringing together people from different backgrounds to develop solutions to real-world challenges faced by people and governments on the frontline of sustainable development.
Molden’s leadership roles include serving as Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) from 2011 to 2020, and as Deputy Director General and Acting Director General of IWMI, where he worked from 1995 to 2011.
At IWMI, Molden worked on concepts and tools for addressing agricultural water management including water scarcity, water accounting, irrigation performance assessment, and water productivity. He spearheaded the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, which culminated in the seminal report Water for Food, Water for Life (2007). IWMI received the International Water Resources Association’s (IWRA) Crystal Drop Award in 2011 and the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize recognizing Molden’s work on the Comprehensive Assessment. Molden was honored with the CGIAR Science Award for Outstanding Scientist in 2009.
At ICIMOD, Molden led interdisciplinary, knowledge-backed development programs aimed at improving livelihoods, sustaining ecosystems and promoting regional cooperation among eight countries sharing the Hindu-Kush Himalaya mountains: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. ICIMOD collaborated with communities and governments and promoted regional cooperation through transboundary knowledge networks, covering numerous livelihood and environment issues, including water, forests, ecosystems, gender, disaster risk reduction and climate change. ICIMOD received significant recognition including the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation Award in 2018 and the UNFCCC’s Momentum for Change Lighthouse Award in 2014 for its work on the community-based flood early warning system.
Molden received a PhD in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University in 1987, specializing in water resources, and his interests have since expanded to encompass the integration of social, technical, and environmental dimensions in natural resources management. He has skills working at the science-policy interface and engaging in science for diplomacy. Molden has contributed to over 250 publications, including books, journals, reports, media articles, and educational materials, and his work cited more than 15,000 times. He is an Honorary Member of the IWRA and he leads a Publication Mentoring Initiative for young professionals.
