Staff

Ria Agarwal (she/her)

Water Table Officer
A professional headshot of Ria Agarwal

Ria Agarwal joined the Water Foundation as a Water Table Officer in November 2024. She works closely with the Water Table team to foster collaboration among members and across the field, supporting the Table’s mission to advance effective, innovative, and lasting water solutions for people and nature. Alongside her fellow Water Table Officer, she supports the Water Table Director in funder engagement, strategy development, and project management. She brings a background in sustainability, philanthropy, and environmental policy to her role.

Before joining the Water Foundation, Ria was the Senior Program Associate for the Land Conservation and Water Programs at the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation.  She previously worked for a Texas-based environmental nonprofit, taught English abroad, and managed a local restaurant. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Environmental Science and Policy from St. Edward’s University and an associate’s degree in Sociology. She is based in her hometown of Austin, Texas.

Contact

ragarwal@waterfdn.org

"I have spent most of my life in Central Texas. Growing up,
I didn’t fully appreciate how fortunate I was to be surrounded by so many bodies of water—from the many lakes and rivers to the countless creeks and streams flowing through urban and natural landscapes. I was also privileged to almost always have access to clean, reliable drinking water at home. Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand how environmental changes have affected these waters and the communities that depend on them. Pressures including floods, drought, storms and other extreme weather events, pollution, and aging infrastructure, to name a few, have dramatically impacted the environment in which I grew up. While I have always cared deeply about sustainability, my personal and professional experiences have deepened my relationship with water and broadened my understanding of its critical role in human and environmental systems. For these reasons, I am grateful that my work is centered around protecting this vital resource and the communities that it serves."