Sandra Postel is the founding director of the Global Water Policy Project. She is an expert on fresh water and the ecosystems connected to it. Between 2009 and 2015, she worked as a Freshwater Fellow for the National Geographic Society. She has written many articles and several books about global freshwater issues, including Last Oasis, which is available in eight languages, and Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity, her most recent book. She has received four honorary science doctorates. From 1988 to 1994, she held the position of Vice President for Research at the Worldwatch Institute. Postel has taught water policy courses at Tufts University and Mount Holyoke College. In 2002, Scientific American magazine honored her as one of their "Scientific American 50" for her contributions to science and technology. Her work focuses on creating a more water-secure world for all living beings. In 2021, she was awarded the Stockholm Water Prize, which is often called the Nobel Prize for water.

Overview

After finishing graduate school, Postel worked as a natural resources consultant for a private company in Menlo Park, California. In 1983, she joined the Worldwatch Institute and was responsible for global water issues. From 1988 to 1994, she worked as Vice President for Research. In 1994, she left the Worldwatch Institute, moved to Massachusetts, and started the Global Water Policy Project. This organization supports her work in research, writing, speaking, and consulting. In 2009, she was named Freshwater Fellow by the National Geographic Society, a role she held until 2015. She currently lives in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico.

Awards

Scientific American 50 honored Postel for working to create big changes to protect the world's limited freshwater supplies. In 2021, she received the Stockholm Water Prize, given by the Swedish Royal Academy of the Sciences and the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). The prize committee said no one has shown greater dedication, ability, bravery, and persistence in solving important water problems. Her efforts have helped change how the public and professionals understand the water crisis.