Controversial Iranian scientist selected for ‘Nobel prize of water’
2026-03-19 - 03:10
ISLAMABAD: A controversial Iranian political figure and exiled architect of the ‘water bankruptcy’, Kaveh Madani, has been selected for ‘Stockholm Water Prize’ amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran for transforming his groundbreaking research into global policy, diplomacy and outreach under extreme personal risk and political complexity. In a special ceremony held at the Unesco headquarters in Paris on Wednesday, to mark World Water Day, Prof Madani who is director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health — the UN’s think tank on water — was named the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize recipient, to be officially presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on Aug 2 during the World Water Week in Stockholm. Prof Madani, 44, is the youngest laureate in the prize’s 35-year history, the first UN official and the first former Iranian politician, who was arrested in Iran on charges of spying for the United States and Israel intelligence network, to receive the honour. The Stockholm Water Prize is the ultimate global recognition for extraordinary achievements in water-related activities. Often described as the “Nobel Prize of Water”, it is the most prestigious water award given annually to an individual or organisation for outstanding contributions to the sustainable use and protection of water resources. Kaveh Madani went into exile after being accused of spying for CIA, Mossad and MI6 Born in Tehran in 1981, Kaveh Madani earned his BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Tabriz before moving to Sweden — the future home of his prize — to complete an MSc in Water Resources at Lund University. He later earned a PhD from the University of California, Davis, and conducted post-doctoral research at University of California, Riverside, before becoming an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, the US. By his early 30s, Madani was a faculty member at Imperial College London, established as a world-class systems analyst with expertise in mathematical modeling of complex human-water systems to support policy making. His interdisciplinary and innovative work at the interface of hydrology, decision sciences, and economics earned him prestigious awards at an early age. In 2017, at the invitation of Iran’s government, he made the perilous decision to leave his job in London to serve as the Deputy Vice President of Iran and the Deputy Head of Iran’s Department of Environment. His move was seen as a “symbol of hope” for the return of the Iranian diaspora and the rise of a patriotic scientist dedicated to saving his country’s environment. Madani’s tenure in government was as impactful as it was brief. However, when he engaged the general public in the national environmental campaigns that he designed using his game theory skills, he was accused of using water and environmental projects as a cover for espionage for the CIA, Mossad, and MI6. He was targeted by hardliners while state-aligned media labelled him a “water terrorist” and a “bioterrorist”. They also challenged his motives for encouraging the Parliament to ratify the Paris Agreement, a treaty that they believed was a “serious threat to national security”. He was arrested and interrogated multiple times. His conservationist friends were jailed and one of them, Dr Kavous Seyed-Emami, an Iranian-Canadian university professor, died in custody under suspicious circumstances. A few weeks later, Madani was forced into exile. After living in hiding for months, he accepted an academic position at Yale University, continuing to advocate for his jailed friends. Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2026