Arijanto "Arie" Istandar is a Civil and Water Resources Engineer with over 25 years of experience managing and leading urban and rural water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) service delivery and sector reform, water infrastructure development, climate resilience, and environmental/natural resources management.
He is currently the Associate Director for RTI’s Water team, where he provides technical leadership and oversight, coordinates cross-organization water resources and service delivery activities, and supports new business expansion.
Mr. Istandar has substantial experience in organizational and management capacity building and stakeholder engagement in the WASH sector and in resilience globally. In Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria), he has supported and managed WASH programs through a systems approach that strengthens WASH service provider institutional governance, facilitates sector reform with accountability and inclusivity, activates market solutions for WASH products and services, and advances financial and technical viability of WASH service providers and local governments. In Asia (Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam), he has led activities with public and private sector partners to increase the operational and technical resilience of WASH service providers and communities against climate change impacts by managing water quality and water loss, conserving water and energy use, and developing green/gray infrastructure solutions. In the U.S., he has worked with U.S. municipalities and private-sector clients to develop tailored solutions for managing groundwater resources, remediating hazardous waste, and enhancing water and wastewater treatment operations.
Previously, Mr. Istandar served as a Chief of Party and Team Leader for projects managing urban water and sanitation service delivery improvements. He also has held field- and home office-based positions managing USAID and World Bank-sponsored projects. Throughout his career, Mr. Istandar has collaborated with different tiers of host country government partners, business leaders, civil society organizations, and donor agencies to facilitate locally led development and the execution of strategic plans, policy reforms and regulatory frameworks, and capacity building.
Mr. Istandar holds a certification as a Pervious Concrete Technician from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and a Green Associate from the Green Building Council Indonesia. He is also a member of the International Water Association and currently serves as a board member of WaterLinks, an NGO focusing on water utility partnerships in Asia.
