Rory Hunter

Partners /Australian Partners /

Rory Hunter

Rory Hunter is an environment and water resources specialist, with expertise in integrated assessments, governance, climate change and environmental projects. He holds a Master of Integrated Water Management from The University of Queensland and has over ten years’ experience implementing projects in the Indo Pacific region with the Mekong River Commission (MRC), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australian Water Partnership (AWP), World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and other organisations.

Rory is currently the AWP Myanmar Coordinator and played a key role in many Australia supported activities in Myanmar; Ayeyarwady State of Basin Assessment (SOBA), Basin Exploratory Scoping Study (BESS), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the hydropower sector and Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative.

As a DFAT Senior Technical Advisor in 2015–16, Rory supported the Vietnamese government in implementing the ‘Study of the impacts of mainstream hydropower on the Mekong Delta’. Rory lead the preparation of the Regional Environmental Assessment (REA) for the World Bank Mekong Delta Integrated Climate Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods (MDICRSL) project. From 2012–13, he worked in the DFAT climate change team and led the design and review of environmental safeguards and management for Australian Aid’s overseas development assistance (ODA) projects in water resources, transport, energy and rural development.

Rory worked with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in Laos and Cambodia (2009–12 and 2014–15) in the navigation and hydropower sectors. He has worked on integrated management systems of water supply in Australia and has extensive experience in the inland shipping industry.

Website

Organisational Capability

  • Rory Hunter is an environment and water resources specialist, with expertise in integrated assessments, governance, climate change and environmental projects. He holds a Master of Integrated Water Management from The University of Queensland and has over ten years’ experience implementing projects in the Indo Pacific region with the Mekong River Commission (MRC), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australian Water Partnership (AWP), World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and other organisations.

    Rory is currently the AWP Myanmar Coordinator and played a key role in many Australia supported activities in Myanmar; Ayeyarwady State of Basin Assessment (SOBA), Basin Exploratory Scoping Study (BESS), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the hydropower sector and Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative.

    As a DFAT Senior Technical Advisor in 2015–16, Rory supported the Vietnamese government in implementing the ‘Study of the impacts of mainstream hydropower on the Mekong Delta’. Rory lead the preparation of the Regional Environmental Assessment (REA) for the World Bank Mekong Delta Integrated Climate Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods (MDICRSL) project. From 2012–13, he worked in the DFAT climate change team and led the design and review of environmental safeguards and management for Australian Aid’s overseas development assistance (ODA) projects in water resources, transport, energy and rural development.

    Rory worked with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in Laos and Cambodia (2009–12 and 2014–15) in the navigation and hydropower sectors. He has worked on integrated management systems of water supply in Australia and has extensive experience in the inland shipping industry.

Projects

  • Interim AWP Myanmar Coordinator
    This role supports the finalisation of AWP’s Phase 1 activities in Myanmar including the BESS and Source modelling scoping program and oversee the implementation of the Myanmar Young Water Professionals (YWP) Program, currently in its fourth round. The Coordinator also supports new activities, including the dissemination of the SOBA Report, and will oversee and support the finalisation of a plan for AWP’s Phase II activities in Myanmar
  • AIRBM Ayeyarwady State of Basin Assessment (SOBA)
    As Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) specialist for the SOBA report, he led the analysis of forestry and watershed management in the Ayeyarwady River Basin (ARB) as well as the development of three case studies on hydropower, sand mining and teak certification and overall project management
  • Basin Exploratory Scoping Study (BESS)
    Prepared baseline analysis report on the key development trends and issues in the ARB for the hydropower forestry, agriculture, mining and navigation sectors and assisted CSIRO and eWater in facilitating multi-stakeholder workshops to explore basin scenarios and results of SOURCE modelling.
  • Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the hydropower sector in Myanmar
    As Project Manager (PM) steered the implementation of a nation-wide sustainability (impact) analysis of planned hydropower development across all the river and coastal basins in Myanmar.
  • Myanmar Health Rivers Initiative (MRHI)
    Team Leader (2016–18) developing a River Health Framework for Myanmar government and local communities to monitor the status of water quality, ecosystem health and more evidence for informed, integrated water resource planning at local and regional levels.
  • International Environmental Specialist and Project Manager for the ESIA of Subproject 1/ESA of Stretch 1. Led the design and implementation of the baseline assessment, stakeholder consultation, multi-criteria analysis and impact assessment for dredging and river training measures near Mandalay Port. The (ESA) Stretch 1 was a comprehensives baseline assessment of a 160 km stretch of river between Mandalay and Nyaung Oo. The assessment yielded a number of strategic conclusions that are important to consider in future planning of IWT developments and associated environmental and social assessments.