Prof. Elango Lakshmanan has been actively engaged in teaching and research in the broad field of groundwater hydrology since 1986. He has held several leadership roles in international scientific bodies: Vice President (2014–2019) of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences; Co-President (2022–2024) of the International Commission on Water Quality under IAHS; Vice President (2012–2019) of the Indian Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists; and President (2010–2015) of the Association of Global Groundwater Scientists. He coordinated a major capacity-building initiative funded by the World Bank under the National Hydrology Project, training over 350 scientists and engineers from various State Water Resources Departments. He has organised four international workshops sponsored by UNESCO’s International Hydrology Programme, benefiting researchers from the Asian region. Prof. Lakshmanan has successfully led nine international research projects supported by prestigious organisations, including the European Commission, the British Geological Survey, the Australian Research Council, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Department of Science and Technology, and the University Grants Commission. In addition, he has executed 26 national research projects with a cumulative funding of ₹18 crores, sponsored by MHRD, CSIR, UGC, DST, BRNS, SERB, MoES, and DoS. Prof. Elango Lakshmanan’s work has contributed to the sustainable groundwater management across India’s diverse aquifer systems. His research integrates advanced numerical modelling techniques to simulate groundwater flow and pollutant transport, supporting long-term aquifer viability. He has extensively studied managed aquifer recharge strategies to rejuvenate overexploited water sources, particularly in semi-arid and urban regions. His investigations include risk assessments of contaminants such as fluoride, uranium, and heavy metals. He has employed innovative tools like fuzzy logic and Monte Carlo simulations to forecast groundwater quality and associated health risks. His studies have addressed seawater intrusion in coastal zones and evaluated the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources. His work on urban water systems, especially in Chennai, demonstrates how rainwater harvesting can boost groundwater levels substantially. Through numerous peer-reviewed publications, leadership in national and international projects, and impactful capacity-building efforts, Prof. Lakshmanan has contributed to developing science-based approaches for protecting and conserving groundwater resources in India and similar hydrogeological settings worldwide.
Expert lectures: Besides the course instructor, the following subject experts have delivered lectures on different aspects of Sustainable Groundwater Management.
Mr Nitin Bassi, Senior Programme Lead, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi, India
Title of the lecture: Policy interventions for sustainable groundwater management
Dr. R. D. Deshpande, Former Chairman, Geosciences Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India
Title of the lecture: Applications of isotopic techniques in groundwater hydrology
Prof. Ahmed S. Elshall, Department of Bioengineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, USA
Title of the lecture: Interaction of science and policy for sustainable groundwater management
Prof. Brindha Karthikeyan, Department of Water Resources and Ecosystems, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, The Netherlands
Title of the lecture: Integrated water resources management – Concepts, challenges, and opportunities
Dr. Paul Pavelic, Senior Researcher – Hydrogeology, International Water Management Institute, Lao PDR
Title of the lecture: Impact assessment of MAR structures
Dr. Y. R. Satyaji Rao, Director, National Institute of Hydrology, Ministry of Jak Shakti, Roorkee
Title of the lecture: River Bank Filtration Process Using Groundwater Flow Modelling and Particle Tracking Approach in a Saline Coastal Aquifer
Prof. P. Sakthivel, The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai, India
Title of the lecture: Groundwater governance, regulations, and law
Dr. M. Senthilkumar, Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt. of India, Chennai, India
Title of the lecture: Sustainable groundwater management initiatives in India
Prof. S. Srinivasan, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
Title of the lecture: Participatory approaches in water management
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