Dr. John H. Matthews

John H. Matthews serves as Executive Director and co-founder of the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), where he has been working at the intersection of water, climate adaptation, and resilience since 2007. After earning his Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Texas, he transformed from a book editor to a leading voice in global water management. His work spans five continents and over 25 countries, integrating technical and policy approaches for climate resilience. Under his leadership, AGWA has become the official voice of water in the UNFCCC, advising over 100 countries on their national adaptation plans. His impact extends to the financial sector, where his work has resulted in more than 15 billion USD in certified green bonds for water resilience investments. Beyond AGWA, he holds positions as Water Resources Courtesy Faculty at Oregon State University and Senior Water Fellow at Colorado State University. His previous roles include directing global freshwater climate adaptation programs at WWF and Conservation International. His research and advocacy work has been published in prestigious journals including Science and Nature Climate Change, while his practical initiatives range from developing climate risk reduction methodologies to creating new resilience indicators. He co-founded the #ClimateIsWater advocacy group and continues to lead major initiatives in water-climate policy, including the first global water-climate dialogue at a COP. Currently based in Corvallis, Oregon, he focuses on accelerating the uptake of best practices for climate resilience while advising institutions ranging from UN agencies to corporations on sustainable water management