Mr. Ramaswamy R Iyer was formerly Secretary Water Resources in the Government of India, and in that capacity he was the initiator and principal draftsman of India's first National Water Policy in 1987. After his retirement from the Government, he was Research Professor at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, where he worked on water-related issues, and in particular on cooperation on river waters by India, Nepal and Bangladesh (1990-99). He continues in CPR in an honorary capacity.

Mr. Iyer was a member of two high-level committees set up by the Government of India to review the environmental and displacement/rehabilitation aspects of the Sardar Sarovar Project (1993 - 95) and the Tehri Hydro-Electric Project (1996-97), and was a Member of the National Commission on Integrated Water Resources Development Plan (1997-99).