Suhas P. Wani Former Research Program Director – Asia and Director, ICRISAT Development Center (IDC) at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India. His area of specialization is scaling-up science-based interventions to benefit millions of farmers in Asia and Africa particularly in the area of sustainable agriculture for improving rural livelihoods. His expertise spans thru integrated watershed management and water use efficiency (Green, blue and grey) in field to catchment scale, wasteland development, wastewater management, biodiesel plantation, integrated nutrient management and carbon sequestration for the conservation of natural resources and their sustainable use for improving livelihoods of farmers. Livelihoods improvement for small farm holders is the main thrust of his research for development (R4D). Dr. Wani has organized number of national and international meetings and co-ordinated number of multi-disciplinary, multi country projects in the area of sustainable natural resource management and for improving livelihoods and building resilience of the farmers. He has put together a strategy for doubling Farmers’ income by 2022 as envisioned by Govt. of India and pilot in 18 districts of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh is being implemented. For knowledge delivery system IT- based along with crop and water modelling Sowing Date APP has been piloted and scaled-up in partnership with Microsoft. He has pioneered in undertaking holistic integrated solutions scaling-up through consortium approach and delivery of science-based advisories to farmers using integration of crop and water modelling, soil health and integrated pest management, irrigation scheduling, water harvesting, and market linkages forming Farmers Producer Companies (FPOs).
Dr. Wani is a University Gold Medallist, served as Visiting Professor at University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada and has served as an expert on several national and international fora such as Working Group on Minor Irrigation and Watershed Management for the Twelfth Five-Year Plan; as a member of Expert Committee for technical evaluation for “National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), member of the Programme Advisory Committee for Natural Resource Management and Climate Change in MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India and Honorary Trustee of S.M. Sehgal Foundation (SMSF) and the Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD), BAIF Integrated Rural Development, Hyderabad, and organizing committee member. He has served as Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Board (SAAB) Member of Unilever and serving as Jury for JSW-Times of India Earth Care Awards.
Dr. Wani has received National Groundwater Augmentation Award at National level from Ministry of Water Resources; Gold medal from Government of Vietnam for the improvement of agriculture and rural development in Vietnam, Fellowship from Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), Kunming, China; Doreen Mashler Award; Best Team Award, Best ICAR Award and Outstanding scientific article award. Recently in the year 2015, he received Krishi Sanman Award by ABP Majha, Abhinav – Innovative Practices in IWMP” by Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, Asian CSR Leadership Award for the year 2015, 50 Most Impactful Leaders in Water & Water Management. World Water Leadership Congress, 3rd CSR Impact award in Livelihood category for ‘ICRISAT – JSW Energy’s project - ICRISAT-JSW @ Bellary: Improving Rural Livelihoods through Integrated Watershed Management.