Patrick MacQuarrie

Patrick MacQuarrie, Ph.D., is an international water expert, educator and consensus-builder with deep experience in freshwater ecosystems and landscape systems worldwide. He grew up on a wheat farm in the Palouse region of eastern Washington, where early exposure to agricultural landscapes shaped a long-term interest in water conservation and environmental change.

Patrick holds degrees in engineering, hydrology and international relations, as well as a Ph.D. in International Water Conflict Management. With both Irish and American heritage, he has spent much of the past three decades living and working overseas, contributing to major international water initiatives and cooperative agreements.

Patrick has collaborated with organizations including UN-Water, UNEP, UNECE and IUCN. Among his notable contributions, he helped negotiate a major water-sharing agreement for the Mekong River Commission, supporting sustainable management and livelihoods across the region. He has also taught and conducted research at universities around the world.

His field experience spans river systems across North and South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including the Columbia and Colorado basins, the Amazon, Lake Titicaca and major transboundary rivers in Southeast Asia. He also brings extensive knowledge of Ireland’s waterways and those of the British Isles.

On National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions voyages, Patrick provides guests with global context and insight into the relationships between freshwater systems, landscapes and human communities.