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Harvard visiting professorship for water expert

Professor Mike Young, ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide Professor of Water Economics and Management.
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Wednesday, 15 February 2012

One of ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s foremost water policy experts, the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide's Professor Mike Young, has been appointed to the , a prestigious visiting professorship at .

Mike Young is Professor of Water Economics and Management at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide and was founding Executive Director of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s .

After three years leading the Environment Institute, Professor Young has stepped down from that role to continue his research, based in the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s .

He will take up his visiting professorship at Harvard in 2013 where he will work in the for one year.

"Establishing the Environment Institute at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide has been a rewarding experience. I'm now looking forward to focusing on my main research interests - water, climate change and resource management issues," Professor Young says.

"Fresh water is one of the world's scarcest resources. By 2030, the OECD predicts that more than half of the world's population will have experienced water scarcity challenges similar to those experienced by ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ns over the last decade.

"ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ is recognised as an international leader in water management. We've made many mistakes but we've learned some valuable lessons as well. We have a lot to offer.

"At Harvard, I'll be aiming to translate the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n experience in water management into recommendations that are internationally applicable," he says.

Professor Young is a Member of the . He was 2008 South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n of the Year (Environment), is a winner of the Land and Water ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ Eureka Prize for Water Research, received a Centenary Medal for contributions to environmental economics, and established CSIRO's Policy and Economic Research Unit with offices in Adelaide, Canberra and Perth.

"Professor Young is a highly regarded researcher and public commentator on water resources and policy issues," says the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha.

"His significant contribution to the establishment and development of the Environment Institute is to be commended. He has provided a very solid foundation for the future of the Institute. We know he will strongly represent the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide and this state when he visits Harvard ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ next year."

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