Quentin Grafton is a highly published and cited Professor of Economics, Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance (since 2010), and an Australian Laureate Fellow (since 2020) at the Australian National University. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, a Distinguished Fellow of the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, and the recipient of global and Australian honours and research awards, including the Eureka Science Prize for Water Research and Innovation. He founded the Global Water Forum, the world's first blog exclusively devoted to water, and is its Executive Editor.

In 2019 he established the Water Justice Hub, whose mission is to respond to water injustice and to promote both 'voice' and truth-telling in relation to water. As its Convenor, he has worked with diverse communities across Australia to collaboratively promote sustainability and water (including climate and environment) justice.