Johan Oost

Background

About Johan Oost

As co-creator, networker and entrepreneur Johan Oost combines worlds, sees links, crosses boundaries, and makes things happen. Johan initiated and executed the first Wetskills programme during the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010. In the Wetskills Challenge, a diverse group of international young talents work in mixed teams on real-life water challenges from local and/or international sector partners. As managing director of the self-supportive and independent Wetskills Foundation, he is responsible for the organization, events, finances and executive team. The Wetskills Challenges has been organized more than 70 times in 30 countries all over the world (Southern Africa, MENA Region, Europe, Asia, Americas). Since 2017 Johan is also one of the directors of Water Footprint Implementation (WFI), a company aiming to bring the Water Footprint methodology into practice. At the moment WFI focus on the CSRD and the development of Water Footprint Compensation. Johan’s background is water and flood risk management, combined with expertise at water education and capacity building in the water sector. He studied Water Engineering & Management at the Twente University and he did a minor about sustainable development in a north-south perspective, partly at the Wuhan University in China. After working at the Dutch consultants HKV and DHV, Johan is involved capacity development and young talent projects in the global water sector. He worked at the World Water Academy (capacity development & training) and Netherlands Water Partnership (advisor and facilitator for cooperation between The Dutch water sector and countries as Romania and South Africa). He is still managing director of the Wetskills Foundation. Besides in The Netherlands, he worked in many countries worldwide as South Africa, Romania, Oman, India, China, South Korea, various Arab countries in the MENA region (like Palestine, Jordan, Egypt), Indonesia, Lesotho, Canada and United States. Passion for his work is expressed when Johan works at water challenges worldwide to come to tailored solutions in cooperation with other people. “Water challenges are mainly technical solutions that must be in harmony with the cultural historic and social economic context. Wetskills is a perfect example; the mixed teams of international participants come to concrete and out-of-the-box concepts with should be tailored on a specific area. Teambuilding is essential to come to a gowidespreadod results and it generates a lot of enthusiasm and energy”.