Previous Thiess International Riverprize Winners

Winner: International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River | Danube River, Transnational (Europe)

The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) demonstrated a collaborative effort to improve water quality in the second largest river basin in Europe. The project showed excellence in water management through establishing a network of water monitoring and sampling stations, research ships testing pollution and a transboundary warning system for accidents. Watch video here

Finalists:

Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority | Lake Simcoe, Canada
Waitakere City Council | Waitakere Streams, New Zealand
Yellow River Conservancy Commission | Yellow River, China

Winner: Foreign Affairs Office of Chengdu Municipal Government | Sha River, China

The Sha River plays a major role in the flood management control for the city of Chengdu. By the late 1990s it was virtually dead and had become a severe health hazard. Rapid population and industrial growth saw the river suffer from city waste, raw sewage, deforestation, coal silt and rural garbage. The Chengdu Municipal Foreign Affairs Office’ integrated restoration project improved water quality, controlled flood flows, cleaned up pollution, landscaped parks and implemented drainage systems. It also enhanced public use and improved understanding of sustainable use of the catchment in accordance with nature. Watch video here

Finalists:

Meewasin Valley Authority | Meewasin Valley, Canada
South Florida Water Management District | Kissimmee River, USA
Office of the Lake Macquarie and Catchment Coordinator | Lake Macquarie, Australia

Winner: Communaite de Communes du Val de Drome | Drome, France

The Drome restoration process was strongly proactive, going well beyond legal obligations, and made the Drôme Valley a recognised exemplary case of concerted water catchment management. It enabled water use conflicts to be addressed and general local acceptance to be obtained for the actions undertaken. Watch video here

Finalists:

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation | Hudson River Valley, USA
South Florida Water Management District | Kissimmee River, USA
Sha River Restoration Project | Sha River, China

2004 Winner: Siuslaw River Basin, USA | Siuslaw Institute

By 1990, some anadromous (ocean migrating) fish and terrestrial forest dependent species were becoming endangered in the Siuslaw River Basin. The Siuslaw River Basin partners have been working cooperatively for more than 26 years to restore the basin’s natural functions, wildlife populations and economic activities. Watch video here

Finalists:

Drome River, France | Communaute de Communes du Val de Drome
Meewasin Valley, Canada | Meewasin Valley Authority
Arvari River, India | Tarun Bharat Sangh

2003 Winner: Alexander River, Israel | Alexander River Restoration Project

The Alexander River Restoration Administration (ARRA) was founded in 1995 in Israel to address the issues of high concentrations of organic materials in the river. ARRA now consists of 20 public and state entities at local, regional, and national levels. This effort includes a unique and effective partnership with Palestinian neighbors from the district and town of Tul Karem. Watch video here

Finalists:

Fu and Nan Rivers, China | Chengdu Fu and Nan Rivers Revitalisation Project
Siuslaw River Basin, USA | Siuslaw National Forest
Arvari River, India | Tarun Bharat Sangh
Danube River, Transnational (Europe) | WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme

2002 Winner: Mekong River, Transnational (Asia) | Mekong River Commission

War affected all the Mekong riparian countries during the 1970s, and it wasn’t until 1988 with the assistance from the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) that Laos, Thailand and Vietnam established an interim Mekong Committee to continue the original committee’s work. The 1995 Mekong Agreement set a new mandate for the organisation ‘to cooperate in all fields of sustainable development, utilisation, management and conservation of the water and related resources of the Mekong River Basin’. Watch video here

Finalists:

Fu and Nan Rivers, China | Chengdu Fu and Nan Rivers Revitalisation Project
Kissimmee River, USA | South Florida Water Management District
Humber River, Canada | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Danube River, Transnational (Europe) | WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme

2001 Winner: Blackwood River, Australia | Blackwood Basin Group

The Blackwood River Catchment is a unique wild river, whose headwaters are a sluggish series of connected wetlands before forming a river channel on its journey through the Hardy Inlet to the Southern Ocean. The Blackwood Basin Group (BBG) was established in 1993 as anon-profit, community-based organisation to provide concerned community members, conservationists, farmers and industry representatives from all reaches of the river with an opportunity to work together to address the degradation of the Blackwood basin. Watch video here

Finalists:

Alexander River, Israel | Alexander River Restoration Administration
Styx River, New Zealand | Christchurch City Council
Humber River, Canada | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

2000 Winner: Grand River, Canada | Grand River Conservation Authority

By the early 20th Century, the Grand River was rightly described as an “open sewer.” The Grand River Conservation Commission (later the Grand River Conservation Authority) was created in the 1930s to address water quality, water supply and flooding issues. It was Canada’s first water management agency and one of the first in the world. Watch video here

Finalists:

South Wales Rivers, UK | Keep Wales Tidy Campaign
Tsurumi River, Japan | Japanese Ministry of Construction
Wanganui River, New Zealand | Wanganui District Council

1999 Winner: Mersey Basin, UK | Mersey Basin Campaign

As a government-sponsored 25-year initiative to clean up the rivers, canals and estuary of the Mersey River Basin in North West England, the Mersey Basin Campaign was a pioneer in partnership working. In the period it was active (1985-2010), it made great progress in improving water quality, promoting waterside regeneration, and engaging stakeholders, in a region with a history of severe industrial dereliction and pollution. Watch video here

Michael has over 30 years’ experience across the resources & industrial industries in Australia, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Prior to being appointed to the joint role of Executive Chair and CEO of Thiess, Michael was the CEO of ASX listed CIMIC Group, responsible for leading Sedgman, UGL, CPB Contractors, Leighton Asia and Thiess. He joined Thiess in 1998, starting as a Project Manager, and has held leadership and operational roles in the mining, construction and services sector, giving him expertise across operations, technical, commercial and strategy.

Michael is a highly regarded and innovative leader focused on delivering value to clients and inspiring operational excellence by building strong, safe and performance-driven teams. He serves as a Director of the Minerals Council of Australia and the Sustainable Minerals Institute.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering Civil from the University of Sydney and a Master of Engineering Science from the University of New South Wales.