Dr. Clive
Lipchin

Clive is Director of the Arava Institute’s Center for Transboundary Water Management, where he leads applied research and regional initiatives addressing shared water and environmental challenges across Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories. His work focuses on water resource management and policy, with an emphasis on practical, cooperative solutions in complex political landscapes.

At the Institute, Clive develops and oversees cross-border projects that bring together researchers, practitioners, and communities. His current work includes stream restoration and wastewater management initiatives, as well as the development of decentralized, community-based water technologies. These include solar-powered water treatment systems, wastewater reuse solutions, and innovative approaches to desalination—designed for use in the Middle East and other water-stressed regions.

Clive also serves as a consultant to leading international organizations, including the World Bank, European Union, UNDP, and USAID. His work has contributed to major regional efforts such as the EU’s Water Initiative for the Mediterranean.

Originally from South Africa, Clive has lived in Israel for over two decades. He holds advanced degrees in zoology, wildlife management, desert ecology, and resource ecology, including a PhD from the University of Michigan. He has published extensively on transboundary water management and co-edited key volumes on regional water cooperation, including Integrated Water Resources Management in the Middle East and The Jordan River and Dead Sea Basin: Cooperation amid Conflict.

Through his work, Clive advances the Institute’s mission to foster collaboration, build shared knowledge, and develop scalable solutions to the region’s most pressing environmental challenges.

In 2020, Clive founded Laguna Innovation, a private company translating over a decade of applied research from the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies into scalable, real-world solutions. Laguna develops decentralized, off-grid water and sanitation systems for remote communities, centered on its patented Vertical Green Wall Bio-Filter (VGW-BF)—a 100% solar-powered, low-sludge technology that enables wastewater reuse for irrigation. Now integrated into projects across the region and globally, the technology has been implemented in communities in the Negev, West Bank, South Africa, and Peru, advancing food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience. Through this work, Laguna Innovation reflects a commitment to actionable solutions, environmental cooperation, and cross-border impact.