Full First Name(s)
Christopher William Spencer
Title (honorific)
Dr
Academic Qualifications
PhD (1987, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
Brief Biography (English)

Dr Chris Dickens is an Aquatic Ecologist with 33 years’ experience working in three main areas: 1.) aquatic ecosystem health, 2.) water resource protection including environmental water requirements and resource targets and 3.) water resource management and governance.

During his career, he has worked in the water management industry and for national and international water research agencies. Dr Dickens is currently working for the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

He has carried out a wide range of projects during this time. Most recently he was Lead Author for the United Nations (UN) of the indicator method for the SDG Target 6.6 on water-related ecosystems and has also guided the FAO to include environmental flows into SDG Indicator 6.4.2.

Dr Dickens has done work on environmental water requirements or E-flows for rivers including the Nile, Inner Niger Delta, rivers in Lesotho, Tanzania, Kenya and in his home country South Africa.  He has Drafted National policy for determination of Resource Quality Objectives and also for management of environmental flows. Dr Dickens has a long history in river health management having designed both methods and monitoring programmes for various countries. He has also worked on various projects considering Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Integrated Natural Resources Management (INRM) in Africa as a whole.

Job Title
Principal Researcher
Primary Organisation
International Water Management Institute IWMI
Website Address for Primary Organisation
African Country
South Africa
African Region
Southern Africa

Profile Photo