Ovink, Henk

Member of the AIWW Management Board & representing Dutch government
Representing Dutch government
Special Envoy for International Water Affairs

Henk Ovink was appointed by the Cabinet of the Netherlands as the first Special Envoy for International Water Affairs in 2015. As the Ambassador for Water, he is responsible for advocating water awareness around the world, focusing on building institutional capacity and coalitions among governments, multilateral organisations, the private sector and NGOs to address the world’s pressing water needs and help initiate transformative interventions.

Henk Ovink has a proven track record in water and sustainable urban development and holds several international posts. One of these is Sherpa to the High Level Panel on Water, installed by the then UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and President of the World Bank Jim Kim. The High Level Panel on Water comprises 11 Heads of State/Heads of Government including Prime Minister Rutte from the Netherlands. The High Level Panel strives to catalyse change in water awareness and implementation.

He is Principal for Rebuild by Design, the resilience innovation competition he developed and led for President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. His last book, written together with Jelte Boeijenga, ‘Too Big. Rebuild by Design: A Transformative Approach to Climate Change’ explores the recovery work post Hurricane Sandy as a learning opportunity.

To ensure long-term continuity, Henk Ovink plays an active role in academia. He holds a research position at the University of Groningen and teaches at  the London School of Economics and at Harvard Graduate School of Design.

In January 2018, Henk Ovink was awarded honorary membership of the Royal Institute of Engineers of the Netherlands for his ‘global water work’.

In February 2020, he was awarded the IHS Urban Professional Award for his contribution to the field of resilient cities.