Biography
Dr Pranav Joshi’s professional career spans over 30 years during which he has worked with the public sector, industry, academic sector and NGOs at national and international levels. As an environmental professional, he has a strong background in the inter-linked areas of environmental technology, science and engineering, and public health. His career foundation was laid when he worked as a regional technical manager for nearly a decade in a multinational company, which is a US Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company.
Highly experienced in policy formulation, scientific standard development, environmental regulations, research, academic teaching, industrial training and technical auditing work, he has played a key role in developing Singapore’s first national standards and regulations for the quality of piped drinking water, and water safety plan regulatory framework.
He has supervised dissertations and study reports in the areas of climate change, environmental sustainability, waste management, circular economy, renewable and non-renewable energy, and pollution control. He has served as the Chairman of the Asia & Pacific Region of the International Federation of Environmental Health (London), President of the Society of Environmental Health (Singapore), and a member of the World Health Organization (Geneva)’s International Network of Drinking-water and Sanitation Regulators. He is passionate about green issues and encourages his students to think outside the box and be innovative and creative in the application of various technologies.
Qualifications
- 1998: MSc In Environmental Engineering from the National University of Singapore
- 1993: PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Bombay, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
- 1988: MSc In Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Bombay
- 1986: BSc in Chemistry from the University of Bombay
Career History
- 2019-present: Singapore Food Agency. Last position held – Senior Assistant Director, Drinking Water Regulatory Unit, Operations Management Department
- 2002-2019: National Environment Agency. Last position held – Senior Assistant Director, Drinking Water Unit, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
- 1992-2002: Ecolab Pte Ltd. The last position held – Technical Manager (Southeast Asia), Water Care Services, and Food, Beverage and Industrial.
- 1992: KBS Pure Water Pte Ltd. The last position held – Technical Manager
Honours & Awards
- 2020: Commendation Medal (National Day Award)
- 2016: Municipal Services Award
- 2016: Leadership Award for Outstanding Contribution to Water Efficiency
- 2008: Merit Award from SPRING Singapore
- 2006: Valued Trainer’s Award from the Singapore Environment Institute
Professional Activities
Part-time teaching of Environmental Technology module for the Master’s in Environmental Management programme at NUS, since 2015
Research Interest
Environmental sustainability and climate change – water quality, treatment and recycling; Environmental cleaning, hygiene and disinfection; Decarbonization and low-carbon technologies (including renewable energy and nuclear energy); Air purification and pollution control; and Waste minimization and recycling including circular economy.
Selected Recent Publications
- “Microplastics in drinking-water”, published by World Health Organization, 2019. — Served as one of the experts who provided insights.
- Contributor, “Guidelines for drinking-water quality”, Fourth edition incorporating the first addendum, published by World Health Organization, 2017.
- Contributor, “Technical Reference for Water Conservation in Cooling Towers”, 1st Edition, Nov 2017.
- Yu Xiang Jaren Soo, Chan Chun How, Pok Kwoon Yong, Pranav S. Joshi, “International Perspectives on Regulatory Frameworks for Public Swimming Pools”, World Water Congress & Exhibition, Brisbane, 2016.
- Pranav S Joshi, Melvin Ho Wai Kit, Terence Tng, Chun How Chan, “Global Perspectives on Health-based Piped Drinking Water Quality Standards”, Environment and Health International, Vol. 16, No. 01, 2015.
- Contributing author, Auditing water safety plans, Publication of the World Health Organization, 2015.