Summary
Barbara is a climate change and disaster risk reduction specialist with more than 16 years of direct professional in-the-field experience. She has provides advisory services in policy and program development, program and project evaluation, training and capacity building, to national and local government agencies and international and regional organizations, including the United Nations system and NGOs with focus on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation for resilient development, food security, gender, policy leadership and advocacy. She is specialised in programmes aiming at climate change and disaster risk reduction mainstreaming into national and sector response policies, strategies and plans.
She has used multi-stakeholder participatory approaches in Pacific countries and has proven hands-on expertise in-the-field. She worked with government and beneficiary institutions to formulate policies and implement programmes. She was responsible for the formulation of national policies, vulnerability assessment, gender, disaster risk reduction and natural hazards prevention and mitigation through the promotion of long-term strategies to adaptation planning for effective aid delivery at national and regional level. In her work she has developed funding recommendation, strategic positioning, partnership and recommended doable and realistic implementation plans, including timelines, costing and roles and responsibilities.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Global Environmental Protection and International Policies and is an active member of the Pacific Infrastructure Advisory Centre and Adaptation Learning mechanism as well as the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery East Asia and the Pacific Disaster Knowledge Network. Barbara is serving on United Nations Women National Committee Aotearoa New Zealand.
Qualifications and credentials
Master’s Degree Global Environmental Protection and International Policies, 2007, Completed, Tuscia University
Diploma in Natural Disaster Risk Management Program, Completed, World Bank
Certificate in Pathways to climate change adaptation: the case of Small Island Developing States, On-going, University of Gen
Diploma in Development and International Cooperation, 2006, Completed, Institute of Politics and International Studies (ISPI)
Certificate in Development Economics, 2005, Completed, International Development Institute (VIS)
Certificate in Decentralized Development, 2004, Completed, EuropeAid/UCODEP
Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and International Relations, 1996, Completed, University of Bologna
Gender mainstreaming, gender budgeting, Completed
human rights based approach, Completed
climate change mainstreaming, Completed
Climate change and SIDs, Completed
Disaster risk reduction, Completed
Gender equality, Completed
United Nations Women National Committee Aotearoa New Zealand, Board member
Nelson Multicultural Council, Board member
United Nations Association of New Zealand,, member
NCW Public Issues Standing Commissions for Parliamentary submissions
Migrants and Refugees Settling-In Programme, Committee Member
Pacific Infrastructure Advisory Centre, Member
Adaptation Learning Mechanism, Associate Member
Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery East Asia and the Pacific, Member
Disaster Knowledge Network, Nairobi Work Programme on Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change, Regional Adaptation Platform for Asia, Member
English, Excellent, Excellent, Excellent
Italian, Excellent, Excellent, Excellent
French, Good, Good, Good
Spanish, Good, Good, Good
German, Average, Average, Average
Work experience
Gender mainstreaming
Climate financing specialist
Legal specialist (climate change/environmental law/MEAs)
Community development specialist
Proposal writing/Report writing
Capacity building specialist
Disaster Relief/Management specialist
food security, water, energy, transport, agri
KiwiConsult Limited, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Adviser, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Partnership Adviser, Pacific Partnership Design and Feasibility Study, Jan 2015 – present: ChildFund New Zealand retained as adviser for Pacific Partnership Design and Feasibility Study, second phase of a research aimed a, Palau, Climate Change Policy Adviser, Development of a Climate Change Policy Framework for Palau, June 2014- present: Palau, Policy Adviser: Engaged by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community for the Development of a Climate Change Policy Framewor, Niue, Climate Change Policy Adviser, Design of Institutional Framework for Climate Change Division for the Government of Niue, August 2014 –October 2014: Design of Institutional Framework for Climate Change Division for the Government of Niue. Engaged by the Secretariat of the, Nauru, Climate Change Policy Advisor, Nauru’s Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Framework (RONADAPT), October 2013- Jan 2014, Nauru, Policy Specialist: Engaged by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to finalise Nauru’s Nauru’s Climate Change Adapt, Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa, Climate Change Adaptation expert, Addressing Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific, Addressing Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific project, Climate Change Adaptation expert, International Fund for Agriculture and Development. The a, Samoa, Technical Reviewer, Climate Change, Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture in Asia-Pacific Region, Climate Change, Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture in Asia-Pacific Region project, Food and Agricultural Organisation, Climate Change Adviser. The proj, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, Climate Change Adviser, Food Security and Climate Change in the Pacific: Rethinking the Options, Food Security and Climate Change in the Pacific: Rethinking the Options project for Food and Agricultural Organization, ActionAid. Provided support on, Kazakhstan, Climate Change Specialist, Enabling Climate Change Interventions in Central and West Asia, Enabling Climate Change Interventions in Central and West Asia, Asian Development Bank. Prepare a sector a Sector-Based Climate Change Roadmap that id
AECOM NZ Limited, Principal Consultant, Sustainability and Climate Change, New Zealand, Kiribati, Support to the Environmental and Social Specialist, Kiribati Aviation Infrastructure Investment, Kiribati Aviation Infrastructure Investment project, World Bank. Support to the Environmental and Social Specialist. Environmental and Social Impact A, Home based, Climate Change Advisor, Regional Economics of Climate Change in South Asia Part II: Adaptation and Impact Assessment, Regional Economics of Climate Change in South Asia Part II: Adaptation and Impact Assessment, Asian Development Bank. Support review of existing clima, Lao PDR, Climate Change Specialist, Capacity Development for Coping with Climate Change, Capacity Development for Coping with Climate Change, Asian Development Bank. As part of a team provided Support National Climate Change Office and the, Malaysia, Climate Adviser, Feasibility study for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) hydro project, Feasibility study for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) hydro project, Mega First Corporation. Advice on Clean Development Mechanism opportunities in , Home based, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist, Integrating disaster risk reduction, climate change and environmental considerations in AusAID progr, Integrating disaster risk reduction, climate change and environmental considerations in AusAID programs, AusAID. Identify potential adaptation options, Tanzania, Climate Change Adviser, Climate, Environment, Infrastructure & Livelihood, Climate, Environment, Infrastructure & Livelihood, DFID. Strengthen the institutional framework for responding to climate change challenges in Tanzani
GHD Ltd., Principal Climate Change Adviser, New Zealand, Lao PDR, Climate Change Adaptation Specialist, Impacts of Climate Change in Transport Infrastructure, Impacts of Climate Change in Transport Infrastructure, Asian Development Bank. Technical and policy advice to the ADB resident mission and the governm, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Indonesia, Climate Change Adaptation Specialist, Southeast Asia Climate Change Implementation Plan, Southeast Asia Climate Change Implementation Plan, Asian Development Bank. Retained at Climate Change Specialist to assist the ADB’s South Asia Region, Australia, Climate Change Adviser, Climate Change Guide, Climate Change Guide, Government of Australia. Retained as Climate Change Adaptation Specialist by the Government of Australia to develop, as part of , Australia, Climate Change Specialist, Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation for Infrastructure, Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation for Infrastructure, Australian Homeland Security Research Centre and the Australian Department of Climate Change
ActionAid, International Project Manager and Climate Adviser, Italy, Various countries, Climate Change Policy Specialist, Advancing Capacity to Support Climate Change Adaptation, Advancing Capacity to Support Climate Change Adaptation project, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA). Coordinated com, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda, Climate Change Policy Specialist, Strategies for Adapting to Climate Change in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Targeting the Most Vulnerable, Strategies for Adapting to Climate Change in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Targeting the Most Vulnerable, International Food Policy Research Institute (IF, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal, Climate Adviser, Strengthening Capacity for Climate Change Adaptation, Strengthening Capacity for Climate Change Adaptation, DFID. Design and manage multi-country studies on: Impact of climate change on small holder farme
Leavitt Communications, Chief Business Development Officer, United States of America, Alaska, African countries, Lead, Telemedicine Project, Responsible for a multi-year Telemedicine Project in Alaska which resulted in a strategic partnership project with the World Bank and Multilateral Inv