David Lloyd Owen was born in London and spent his summers at the family house near Llangrannog, Ceredigion. After reading environmental biology at Liverpool University, he went to Jesus College, Oxford for his doctoral research on the behaviour and ecology of the Chough. He put his animal behaviour research to good use by becoming an equity analyst in the City of London. He started following the water sector in 1989. Since 1996, he has been a water consultant, advising governments, multilateral institutions, companies, and banks about water policy, especially regarding finance and sustainability.

He now lives in Wales on a farm near Cardigan with his wife, Polly, children Bethan and Trystan and plenty of animals. As well as collecting books on Wales and South & Central Asia, he dabbles in rural life, writing, epicure and local politics, serving as Mayor of Cardigan in 2003-4.