2010 marks a significant expansion in the work of the LTS group. Building on 37 year track record in delivering high quality services in international development and natural resource management we are responding to an increasing demand from clients for water related services.  In particular, our expertise is being sought as part of increasingly holistic approaches to natural resource management.

Our expanding work in water is embedded within our established practice areas. In building our expertise in the water sector we have created synergies throughout our business approach and LTSI is now providing innovative multi-expert, interdisciplinary responses to cross cutting water and natural resource management challenges.

LTS’ enhanced capacity and strategic growth in this area has been achieved through three actions. Firstly, the recruitment of two internationally recognised experts to lead our water portfolio. Secondly expansion of our associate consultant pool to include high calibre national and regional experts, and thirdly pursuing a programme of research and development. This initiative has already resulted in LTS being awarded a number of highly innovative contracts worldwide.

Melvin Woodhouse brings over 25 years of worldwide consulting and research experience to the company. He is a water engineer and water lawyer. His engineering work can be seen in the form of small and large water supplies from villages to major rivers and project management and consulting work, whilst his legal work can be seen in transboundary shared rivers, human rights as well as domestic and international water law and policy. He is presently actively involved in researching and implementing benefit sharing in the context of major international rivers, and is leading our response to green water and climate adaptation through water management. Melvin has lived for many years in several African countries.

Dr Nick Hepworth is a water scientist and sustainable development practitioner having 16 years experience in research; regulation; project cycle management; consultancy; training and team leadership. His expertise covers water; climate change; agriculture; environment, health and poverty linkages; policy and institutional analysis; aid efficacy and capacity building; monitoring and evaluation; and interventions which pay proper regard to the social and political contexts of developing countries.  Nick established the UK Environment Agency’s International Programme, and has spent the past 8 years in and out of Africa, Asia and South America on a range of assignments.  Nick advises on water management, climate change adaptation, governance and aid efficacy and his academic research is recognized as cutting edge. Nick is Director of the Alliance for Water Stewardship and provides strategic advice for NGOs including Water Witness International and Shahidi wa Maji, which he founded.  Nick continues to teach at African and UK Universities.

Nick and Melvin have significant experience in the following countries:  Botswana, Chile, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Maldives, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Peru, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Zambia

LTS International provides specialised consulting services to the water sector through intelligent and innovative approaches that are grounded in extensive knowledge and practical understanding. Our research and development activities mean we can bring to the client- state of the art responses and a broad professional practice. An obvious benefit of this approach is that we can catalyze innovative responses to complex interdisciplinary natural resource management challenges through a team based approach.

For example: good forestry practice brings major benefits to hydrology in the form of blue and green water, whilst at the same time sequestering carbon and conserving biodiversity. Those benefits are relevant to a very broad set of stakeholders and represent a form of optimising natural resource management.  Through developing the concept with stakeholders and supporting behaviours that shift from competitive to cooperative strategies, new and alternative scenarios of water resource use can be considered. These provide entry points to realise equitable utilisation and effective water sharing.

Much of LTS’ work on climate change and governance calls for integrated thinking across the disciplines, including water science.   Water security is a fundamental aspect of successful adaptation to climate change and our expertise in water resource management now means that we can address the challenge of adaptation based on a robust knowledge of operational and strategic water management in Africa.  Similarly, LTS’ work and experience on water governance in sub-Saharan Africa cross--fertilises our other work streams enhancing   our ability to advise, design, manage and evaluate effective and sustainable governance interventions.   

LTS’ professional practice therefore cuts across our practice areas offering clients a multidisciplinary team response to natural resource management challenges. In the coming year LTS would like to engage with interested academics, clients and associates and discuss ideas and possibilities.

We encourage you to contact us at either our Nairobi or Edinburgh offices.