IRAH Professionals
Dr. Porametee Vimolsiri, Honorary Advisor

Currently Mr. Porametee Vimolsiri is the Chairman of the Bank of Thailand Board, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (Public Organization), board member of Bangchak Public Company Limited which is a leading company in energy sector, board member of Thaicom Public Company Limited which is a leading Asian satellite communications provider and Chairman of Stone One Public Company Limited which is in a construction materials sector.
He is also an eminent advisor of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
He had a long established career in public sector before retirement in 2020 including top positions such as the Secretary General of the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Human Security and Social Development.
He was board’s member of major state-owned enterprises such as the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand.
He graduated with a bachelor degree in Economics from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Master in International Affairs from Columbia University (U.S.A.) and Ph.D. in Public Finance and Monetary Policy from Carleton University (Canada)
Prof. Dr. Bishwa Nath Tiwari, Advisor

Bishwa Tiwari brings a rare blend of over two decades of academic research and teaching, combined with more than 15 years of technical and managerial experience with the United Nations. Until his recent retirement, Bishwa served at the UNDP Bangkok Regional Office, where he led flagship work on human development, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), multidimensional poverty, and LDC graduation. He supported 24 UNDP country offices across Asia and the Pacific in planning, programming, and SDG follow-up. He co-authored the Asia-Pacific Human Development Reports (2012, 2016) and, under the ESCAP-ADB-UNDP SDG Partnership, contributed to seven Regional SDG Reports (2016–2022). His leadership on multidimensional poverty produced two influential reports demonstrating how the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) can guide policy and resource allocation.

Earlier, Bishwa worked with UNDP Bangladesh and Nepal, serving as Lead Author of the Nepal Human Development Report 2009. His career began in 1981 at Tribhuvan University, Nepal, where he taught Economic Theory. Following his UNDP tenure, he returned to academia, teaching Public Policy to MPhil/PhD students at Tribhuvan University’s Central Department of Economics while continuing research.  He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rajasthan, India; a master’s degree in Environmental and Resource Economics from University College London, UK; and a master’s degree in Economics from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

Bishwa has authored more than three dozen publications in journals, books, and UNDP reports, alongside nearly three dozen consultancy reports for UN agencies, the Asian Development Bank, and government institutions in Nepal. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to advancing human development, wellbeing economics, and evidence-based policymaking

Prof. Dr. Khin Ni Ni Thein, Advisor

Prof. Dr. Khin Ni Ni Thein is a water management professional with 44 years of experience in the water sector globally, specialized in inclusive water governance, IWRM and Hydroinformatics. Current duties are Founder of Myanmar Water Academy (https://www.myanmarwatersacademy.com ), Initiator of Water Think Tank and Water Mothers, G100 Ecocivilisation Wing Myanmar Country Chair (https://www.ecocivilisation.eu/en/), Advisory Council Member of International Women Peace Group (IWPG), Advisor and expert member of High Level Experts and Leaders Panel on Water and Disaster ( https://www.wateranddisaster.org ), Environment Chamber Member in IHA International Hydropower Association (http://www.hydropower.org), and Board Member and Advisor to the International Research Associates for Happy Society (IRAH). She co-hosted many national, regional and international water events throughout her career. She presented “the new water management paradigm”, which is the combination of IRAH’s vision and Hydroinformatics in its fullness. She is the former Senior Advisor to the Dams and Development Project, UNEP; former Chief of Section, Water Sustainable Management, in UNESCO; and Vice President of AIT, Bangkok. Since 2021 she concentrated in co-creation of Ecocivilisation. Human and Water security from the perspective of global system change aiming at a happy, peaceful and prosperous world with less collective ego and greed are her current research interests. She obtained B.E. (Civil) and M.E. (WRDE) from YTU, Dip.H.E. M.Sc. (Computational Hydraulics) and Ph.D. (Hydroinformatics) from IHE, Delft, Netherlands. Hence, she founded the Myanmar Water Academy for the water education and future of water in Myanmar.
Nobuko Ichikawa, Advisor

Nobuko Ichikawa is an independent senior policy advisor for environmental & social impact and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) analysis with over 30 years’ experience with the European Bank for Development & Reconstruction (EBRD) and the World Bank. Since the UN resolution to combat the proliferation of AMR was issued in September 2016, she has been working on AMR initiatives to effectively recognise AMR risks and take adequate mitigation measure at the project level as well as through policy dialogue. During her tenure with EBRD, she let EBRD’s incorporation of specific references on AMR in the 2019 Environmental & Social Policy as the first Multi Development Bank (MDB). Nobuko had worked in EBRD between 1996 and 2022. Prior to EBRD, at the World Bank in Washington D.C. from 1991 to 1996. Her work in EBRD focused on environmental due diligence for health care services, Public Private Partnership (PPP) hospital facilities, property and tourism, information technologies/telecommunication, urban redevelopment and cultural heritage and social inclusion in EBRD countries of operations. At the World Bank, she worked on industrial pollution prevention policy work in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. Nobuko obtained a Master’s in urban studies and city planning in MIT in Cambridge, M.A., Master’s in Hosei University and Bachelor’s in Chuo University in Tokyo. Nobuko has been working and living in Thailand, the U.S. and UK over the last 35 years
Mr. Apichai Sunchindah, Vice Chair

    Mr. Apichai Sunchindah, a Thai citizen, has been a development specialist spanning over four decades. He had held positions with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand, and the Bangkok-based development cooperation agencies of Australia, the United States, Switzerland and Germany. He also spent a significant part of his professional career working for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat and the ASEAN Foundation, both located in Jakarta, Indonesia as well as the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. Sunchindah is a specialist in environment and natural resources management but with broad interfaces related to economic, socio- cultural as well as political-security contexts of the places under consideration. He has been a keen and continuous observer of developments in the Southeast Asia region and the Mekong sub-region in particular with special focus in recent years on capacity building and institutional strengthening activities of various organizations/entities. He has been an independent consultant since 2012. BSc in Biology, and MSc in Water Resources Management, from University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sauwalak Kittiprapas, Chair

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sauwalak Kittiprapas has experienced in academics, research and policy development for more than three decades with both international and national organizations. She is the chair of the International Research Associates for Happy Societies (IRAH) as well as teaching at the Faculty of Economics of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) and used to teach at Rangsit University in Thailand. Previously, she had worked with the World Bank in Headquarter and Thailand, UNICEF Office for Thailand, Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), and the Public Policy Development Office (PPDO) under the Office of the Prime Minister in Thailand, in addition to serving national committees including those of the Senate and the House. She received Ph.D in Regional Sciences from the School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Pennsylvania in USA., with MA. and B.A in Economics from Thammasat University in Thailand. Her current research interests are in areas of development towards wellbeing and happiness, improving quality of life, environment and sustainability. She has contributed a number of documents (published and unpublished) to many journals and organizations including international organizations such as the World Bank, UN, ADB, etc.