Staff - UNEP-DHI

Staff

Our professionals

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UNEP-DHI Centre staff consists of leading professionals with a diverse range of skills and experiences. UNEP-DHI Centre draws upon DHI’s technical expertise, across departments and geographies, on a flexible basis based on needs and demands. In a typical year, this results in approximately 30-40 DHI technical staff supporting the Centre’s work.

Core staff

Joakim Harlin leads the UNEP-DHI Centre, providing an important anchor to UNEP, as well as strategic direction. Joakim is a water resources and international development professional with a more than 30-year long career spanning the areas of international policy, business and organizational development, partnerships and all forms of water related projects. He holds Doctor and Master’s degrees from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. During his professional career he has held positions within research institutions, government agencies, private companies and since 2004 within the UN system (UNDP and UNEP).

Gareth is water and climate professional with over 20 years of experience working across policy, governance, and technical domains. At UNEP-DHI Centre, Gareth has enjoyed a range of roles involving team management, programme formulation, and resource mobilization to deliver practical, inclusive solutions. His current tasks include the leadership of the transboundary CREATES Programme in Eastern Africa, where his focus is on supporting advanced water security and climate resilience, using a combination of community-focused nature-based solutions and high-tech Decision Support Systems, tailored to local needs and capacities.

Maija holds a Master of Science degree in international development and environmental planning and policy. Her areas of expertise include climate change adaptation, integrated water resources management, nature-based solutions and strategic indicator use for assessments and monitoring of water resources and water ecosystems. At UNEP-DHI she is working with monitoring and reporting on SDG 6, marine litter and plastic pollution management strategies and decision-support tool development for climate change adaptation, including nature-based solutions.

For 20 years Paul has been passionate about balancing the social, economic, and environmental demands on water and the environment. Paul supported the development of the SDG target and indicator on integrated water resources management, and now leads UNEP-DHI’s programme to support countries to work towards SDG Target 6.5 on water management. Paul’s other areas of expertise include technical and policy aspects of: climate change adaptation, transboundary cooperation, information management systems for sustainable development, and freshwater ecosystem management. Paul has a Masters degree in water resources management (University of Melbourne), and previously worked in flood modelling in Australia.

Lisbet has degrees in Geography and Human Security with a focus on sustainable development and climate change. She has experience managing a portfolio of transboundary water resource management projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, working with River Basin Commissions, Regional Organisations, Public Water Utilities and National Stakeholders to develop IWRM strategies and investment plans. At UNEP-DHI, Lisbet is working with projects, tools and knowledge products that promote action to achieve the SDGs.

Isis holds a master’s degree in Climate Change from the University of Copenhagen. She has specialised in climate adaptation, nature-based solutions, gender and governance. She has experience working on international development programmes in NGOs and institutions and has worked on projects promoting IWRM and nature-based solutions. At UNEP-DHI she is working on SDG 6.5.1 and projects and tools to promote sustainable development.

Henrik Larsen has a degree in environmental engineering and works with integrated water resources management, river basin planning, water quality management, and water-related information management systems, all mainly in developing countries in most regions of the world. Henrik has worked for the UNEP-DHI Centre for many years and also served as Chief Technical Adviser for the Mekong River Commission.

Matthew is an environmental policy specialist with expertise in protected area governance and management, climate action and policy and rights-based approaches to biodiversity conservation. At UNEP-DHI, he works closely with scientists in the Global Wetland Center (GWC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to advance the preservation of wetlands globally by linking action-oriented research with policy on freshwater, climate, and biodiversity. Matthew holds a Masters degree in conservation science and policy, and has worked previously in academia in Central Asia and with IUCN on the conservation and monitoring of natural World Heritage sites.

Patrick Grünwaldt is a Student Assistant at UNEP-DHI, supporting SDG monitoring and reporting, and strategic communications. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a specialization in development cooperation and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Forest and Nature Management at the University of Copenhagen. Patrick brings field and technical assistance experience from working with NGOs and companies in the development cooperation sector.