Kelsey Harpham

Project Manager, Water Tracker for National Climate Plans

Kelsey Harpham brings an interdisciplinary background combining the technical elements of water resources engineering with climate policy, and training in water conflict transformation with diverse international project experience. She joined AGWA in May 2021 as Project Manager for the “Water Tracker for National Climate Plans” — an initiative to help countries self-assess and enhance water resilience in their national climate planning. Prior to joining AGWA, Kelsey has been guiding teams of international and national experts on initiatives in collaborative watershed management, disaster risk reduction, and bottom-up approaches for climate resilient infrastructure. The outcomes of this work are being adopted by national and local level governments in Mongolia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, and Cambodia. Previously, Kelsey worked designing water and wastewater sector infrastructure for municipal and industrial clients in the US. 

Kelsey received a master’s degree in Water Resources Engineering from Oregon State University in 2016. She was a 2018-2019 Luce Scholar based in Hanoi, Vietnam and serves as a trustee on the board of The Asia Foundation. Outside of work, she enjoys early morning runs along whichever body of water is nearest and traversing the urban and natural landscapes that surround her.