Dr. Aline Saraiva Okello is a Mozambican-Kenyan water expert and civil engineer, holding a PhD and MSc in Hydrology and Water Resources from UNESCO-IHE/TU Delft (Netherlands). With over 15 years of experience spanning research, consulting, and network management, she works at the intersection of water resources, rural water supply, and knowledge management across Africa and beyond.
Currently serving as Global Network Manager of the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN), hosted by the Skat Foundation (Switzerland), Aline leads knowledge sharing, stakeholder engagement, webinar programming, communications, and international partnerships for one of the world’s leading rural water networks. She also coordinates RWSN’s women’s empowerment and mentoring initiatives in the water sector.
From 2022 to 2024, Aline served as Water Resources Specialist with the World Bank’s Water East Africa team, supporting two major infrastructure projects in Mozambique totalling USD 300 million, and contributing to the Mozambique Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR).
Her academic and research career includes postdoctoral research at the University of Zululand (South Africa) and collaborative research with IHE Delft and the University of KwaZulu-Natal on transboundary river basin hydrology and hydrological modelling in the Incomati River Basin.
A passionate advocate for women in STEM and water, Aline is a recipient of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award (2013), the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship (2014–2016), and was shortlisted for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation (2016–2017).
Born in Mozambique and based in Kenya, Aline bridges technical excellence with a deep commitment to inclusive and sustainable water solutions across the Global South.
