Key skills and expertise

Bringing nearly 20 years of experience, the expert specializes in urban resilience, sustainable infrastructures, and water management. They have coordinated international projects across Asia and Europe, effectively bridging urban analytics with stakeholder engagement. Career highlights include leading the Water as Leverage initiative and securing competitive funding for various projects. Responsibilities have included consortium-building, capacity development, and project delivery. The expert is proficient in spatial analysis, CAD design, and graphic design, maintaining a strong track record in transdisciplinary research and collaborative urban development projects.

Project experience and donor exposure

With a background in international development, the expert has collaborated with prominent donors such as the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Rockefeller Foundation. Their involvement includes securing funding and leading projects like the Water as Leverage for Resilient Cities initiative, which focuses on climate-resilient urban adaptation in South Asia. This work involves project implementation, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building in the infrastructure sector, specifically related to water management. The projects have a regional scope and have been conducted in geographic locations including India and the broader South Asian region.

Sectors and geographic focus

Worked across diverse sectors including environment and natural resource management, food security, urban development, water and sanitation, and architecture. Previously held roles such as urbanist, researcher, development consultant, and senior adviser. Their interdisciplinary expertise encompasses urban resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and water management, with a geographic scope spanning Europe and Asia. The expert has led international projects and consortiums, contributing to regional development and climate adaptation initiatives. Extensive geographic experience includes Belgium, China, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Vietnam. They have demonstrated a deep familiarity with regional development issues and cultural dynamics, particularly in urban resilience and sustainable infrastructure. Their work includes long-term assignments and recurring involvement in projects that address urban and rural transformation, with a focus on climate adaptation and water management in South Asia and Europe.

Languages and education

With a strong command of languages, the expert is a native Dutch speaker and possesses distinguished, native-level proficiency in English, with mastery in writing, editing, and translation. They have full professional working skills in German and French, and elementary proficiency in Hindi, with basic proficiency in Tamil. These language skills have been utilized in diverse international settings, including in-country work and collaboration within multilingual teams across Europe and Asia. The expert holds a PhD in Urbanism from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, completed in 2015. They also obtained a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering and Architecture, with a specialization in Urban Design, from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, with distinction. Additionally, they studied as a visiting student at Freie Universität Berlin in Germany during their master's program.