Dr. Marianne Kjellén

Marianne Kjellén has dedicated over 25 years to advancing water governance and sustainable development through various influential roles. After earning her Ph.D. in Human Geography with research on water service provision in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, she built an impressive career spanning academia and international development. From 2016 to 2023, she served as Senior Water Advisor at UNDP's Water & Ocean Governance Programme, where she provided strategic guidance on global water policy and supported operations through country offices and regional hubs. Prior to UNDP, she directed the Water Governance Facility at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and worked with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Her expertise spans water governance, urban environmental management, and inclusive approaches to poverty reduction, with particular focus on public-private collaboration and informal water distribution systems. As UNDP's representative in UN-Water, she contributed significantly to global water policy discussions and annual World Water Development Reports. Her work emphasizes the interconnectedness of water management through 'Source-to-Sea' and 'Ridge-to-Reef' approaches, while addressing climate resilience, human rights, gender equality, and anti-corruption throughout her initiatives. She began her international career as a Junior Professional Officer with UNDP in Tanzania in the early 1990s, and has since maintained a strong focus on water governance in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.