Get to know our Experts

Adriaan specializes in climate change adaptation, mitigation and water management, with cross-cutting experience in executing climate change risk analysis, adaptation planning and in training and capacity building activities. He brings more than two decades of leadership, management, policy and advisory experience gained from reputable international organizations (i.e. European commission, ADB, WB, FAO and UNFCCC) and local governments worldwide, across most sectors and asset classes nationally and internationally. MSc Environmental Studies and PhD Climate Change Modeling graduate.

Andreas specializes in climate finance, climate change, sustainable energy project development and management and energy policy, with cross-cutting experience in sustainable finance. Having worked for large multilateral development organizations such as GCF and EBRD, he has established a strong network of high-level contacts through the multilateral climate finance world, including in particular the Climate Investment Funds, the Global Environment Facility, and the Green Climate Fund. Since becoming an independent consultant 2 years ago, he has turned his expertise towards support for development agencies and MDBs in developing climate projects, including peer review of work undertaken by technical specialists to ensure it is in line with the requirements of the donor, and strategy development. His work at the Green Climate Fund was also centered around the review of funding proposals and the development of strategic approaches at sector level. He has a unique perspective on MDB climate operations, and could offer insights from over a decade of service in the field of climate finance to strengthen ADB's Integration of Climate Resilience in the Water Sector.

Andrew is a globally recognized expert in nature-based solutions, protected area planning, and biodiversity-inclusive tourism. With over four decades of experience across more than 35 countries, he has led evaluations, project designs, and strategic planning for initiatives funded by GEF, UNDP, ADB, the EU, and the World Bank. Andrew specializes in integrating conservation with sustainable livelihoods—designing ecotourism strategies, restoring degraded landscapes, and mainstreaming biodiversity into agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. His work spans wetlands, coastal zones, conservation and urban forestry, and biodiversity conservation and protected areas, ecotourism, and urban park and open space planning.

Benjamin has a good track record working with MDBs on climate risk assessment and climate risk management, including the use and application of climate data, and the development and selection of adaptation options. He used to work on several ADB projects, and have been providing technical support on adaptation and resilience to the SEUW division during 2021, supporting them in it's initial response to ADB's evolving Paris-Alignment guidance including an interim assessment of the alignment of projects, and comments on internal draft guidance for both the Water and Urban sectors. He also recently completed an assessment of PA-alignment in the DUWSP project, applying the Water sector guidance for both mitigation and adaptation. As such he is seen to have a good understanding of ADB's current policies on Paris- Alignment, and their application. He also carried out PA assessments for EBRD, and integrated PA procedures into the development of a climate risk management framework for IsDB.

Benoit's main fields of expertise are environmental economics, environmental financing, economic instruments for pollution control, and cost-benefit analysis. He has assessed the economic costs and benefits of large hydro-power projects (including Laos, Viet Nam, and Ethiopia), and designed and tested market-based instruments for pollution control (including Viet Nam, Philippines, Thailand and Sri Lanka). He has designed public disclosure programs for industrial environmental performance and national and local environment and conservation funds, including the preparation of regulations and operational guidelines (including Laos, Viet Nam, Philippines and Thailand). More recently, he has provided support to numerous projects aiming to enhance knowledge on the economics of adaptation to climate change and has co-authored numerous reports and publications on this topic with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Bruce has worked in the natural resources sector since 1989 as policy advisor in several countries including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, India and Malaysia. He developed evidence-based performance indicators as a tool to benchmark better outcomes of water governance at the national, basin and floodplain scales and in reporting mechanisms by river basin organizations. In teams or individually, he has won or led consultancy and research projects funded by the ADB, World Bank, the Netherlands Water Partnership, DANIDA, AusAID, the Murray-Darling Basin Commission and the US National Science Foundation. He holds Masters and PhD degrees from Australia’s original Faculty of Natural Resources at the University of New England.

Casper (56) is a Dutch economist with over 25 years of experience in the field of climate change. He has a wide track record in Asia, having lived in Asia for more than 12 years and having worked  in 20 of ADB’s DMCs. Casper has over 20  years of experience in greenhouse gas accounting, being it in the development of emission reduction projects through his company Caspervandertak Consulting (over 160 projects successfully registered with the CDM executive Board of the UNFCCC), as validator and verifier for RINA Services SpA, or as consultant in preparing emission inventories from cities and/or companies. He is currently advisor on greenhouse gas accounting related topics with several companies. Casper has extensive experience in greenhouse gas accounting in the water sector, including in water supply, water treatment, and irrigation programs, gained as part of the development of climate finance proposals.

Claudio is a geotechnical and natural hazards engineer with over 30 years of international experience in disaster risk reduction, infrastructure resilience, and nature-based solutions. He has led multi-hazard assessments and climate-resilient infrastructure projects across Central Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Pacific, supporting ADB, the World Bank, and EU-funded programs. Claudio specializes in integrating geotechnical design with ecological approaches—such as bioengineering for slope stabilization, green infrastructure for flood mitigation, and low-impact solutions for road and dam resilience. His work advances sustainable development by aligning engineering precision with environmental integrity, particularly in hazard-prone and climate-sensitive regions.

Dr. Pedersen is a globally recognized expert in coastal resilience, with over three decades of experience designing nature-based and hybrid solutions to protect vulnerable shorelines. As Regional Technical Director at DHI, he has led transformative projects across Asia, the Pacific, and Europe—integrating climate adaptation, sediment dynamics, and stakeholder engagement into sustainable coastal strategies. His work spans shoreline management planning, erosion mitigation, and climate risk modeling, with a focus on restoring morphological balance and enhancing long-term resilience.

Craig is a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University. He advises governments, project developers, lenders and investors in conventional energy, renewable energy and carbon management projects and regulation in Asia, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. He holds a J.D. and B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.A. from New York University, and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.