Biography

Based in Germany, Alexander Reyes-Knoche works internationally in the water sector as well as in other climate change related sectors, with private industry companies, public entities, and also with the bilateral and multilateral financial cooperation such as KfW Entwicklungsbank and The World Bank. He counts on more than 25 years of professional experience, including water infrastructure projects with private sector participation, project financing and auditing, having implemented about 40 mostly holistic improvement projects in four continents (Europe, Americas, Africa, Middle East, Asia).

COP 27 in Sharm el-Sheikh has been Alexander’s fifth COP in a row, having participated in different roles, including the role of a “party” and the role of an “observer”, representing countries or organizations from the “Global North” as well as the “Global South”.

Alexander is an active IWA member for more than 20 years, contributing, among others, to the “Water and Wastewater in Ancient Civilizations” Specialist Group, convinced that water management knowledge applied by ancient civilisations can contribute to finding solutions to today’s water and climate challenges.

Alexander holds a degree in hydraulic engineering from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), counts on postgraduate studies in industrial engineering at the same university, and is currently preparing a dissertation on climate reconstruction in the Northern Coast of Peru.