James Lewis, Director of Intercoastal Consulting, is a certified practicing civil engineer with over 15 years of experience specialising in coastal engineering throughout Australasia and across the Pacific. He has a broad knowledge of coastal protection design, integrated coastal management and surf amenity. James’s skills extend outside the office where he has led large-scale metocean deployments, analysing the data captured in the field to calibrate numerical models used to inform coastal design.
He has focussed the last 10 years of his career on working in Small Island Developing States (SIDs) in climate change adaptation, concerned primarily with developing climate-resilient coastal protection. James aspires to see the design phase through to implementation; having supported procurement, and contracting and undertaken construction supervision on large projects in remote locations. He aims to provide value and support through the complete project lifecycle including the social, financial and institutional aspects of these projects, endeavoring to understand the administrative, governmental and funding mechanisms specific to each country and community and their relation to the delivery of a successful project.
Using his knowledge of coastal engineering, the ocean and the environment, James’ primary endeavor is to assist coastal communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Environment & development consultant with 10 years’ experience in 7 sectors in 16 countries, including 10 Caribbean & Pacific SIDS. Key highlights:
2014 Climate Change Project Officer, The Australian National University
2013-2014 Sustainable Financing Consultant, Cuso International
2013 Marine Protected Areas Expert, GOPA Consultants
2012-2013 Policy Research Manager, Caribbean Policy Research Institute
2012 Executive Director/Park Manager (World Heritage Site), Jamaica Conservation & Development Trust
2011 Climate Change Consultant, Environmental Solutions Ltd
2011-2012 Environmental Project Manager, Conrad Douglas & Associates Ltd
2007-2009 Environment & Sustainable Development Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Currently self-directing PhD research into climate change adaptation in SIDS. Seeking to use my qualifications & skills to help limit human-induced climate change, & ensure that adaptation actions in SIDS meet their development & resilience needs & goals.
Over 27 years of experience on international development projects, focusing on coastal management, ICZM, coastal adaption, climate policy, wetland biodiversity management and catchment management. Over 12 years’ experience of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) including programmes that involve participatory planning processes, conducting feasibility studies, the assessment climate change and small island state environmental management and the design of programme implementation involving climate change.Over 10 years’ experience in institutional assessment and identification of capacity and organisational constraints within public administration, private sector, civil society (mostly in small island states). Extensive knowledge of donor agency development policies relating to disaster risk, climate change and coastal adaptation. Strong working experience for SPREP since 2011 in Tuvalu, Tonga, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Fiji, FSM, Samoa. Strong experience in many other SIDs globally.
Over twenty two years international experience in Europe, Caribbean, South America and Pacific of coastal engineering, shoreline strategy management planning, assessing natural coastal processes and the impacts of human activities on the coastal zone. Expertise covers a broad range of technical disciplines with particular skills in the areas of hazard and climate risk assessment, coastal processes, coastal engineering and shoreline management, disaster risk reduction, climate change and adaptation, environmental assessment, and community participation. Over fifteen years’ experience in the Pacific region, having worked initially for the Government of Kosrae, in the Federated States of Micronesia, as Coastal Management Adviser. Since 2003 has led or been involved in a wide range of projects in American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu.
Project Management Work for World Bank and UNDP in the areas of climate change adaptation, health and food security at the national and regional level. Meteorologists by profession with more than 20 years of GIS experience. Strong interest in International and regional conventions in relation to climate change and environment in general. Sectors of interest and involvement includes environment, health, agriculture and food security, disaster and risk reduction management, infrastructure, information and data management, parliamentary institutional strengthening etc. Had worked with other donors like AusAid, NZ Aid, ADB, Government of Italy, UNEP, FAO in particular.
Key skills: providing strategic, targeted knowledge network, evaluation and technical services to international environmental and development programs and institutional capacities. Thematic interests and work experience: project design, implementation and results based monitoring: child rights, disability mainstreaming in UN funds and programs, inclusive education sector planning, biodiversity strategic planning, disaster risk reduction , climate change and resilience, natural resources and protected area management, ecosystem services and environmental science. Policy and bottleneck analysis and implementation problem resolution including work in environment sectors, poverty alleviation and education, improved service delivery and transparent government initiatives. Advocacy interests focusing on one UN programming, education for sustainable development, education systems and planning, climate change adaptation, emergencies, disaster risk reduction and resilience. Communication: training and education experience, including organizing and leading workshops. Research: data analysis, writing/editing materials for a wide variety of audiences and preparing content for websites.
Education and Researcher for the University of New Caledonia
Countries of Work Experience: France, Austria, Germany, New Caledonia
Description: Funded by French Minister of overseas this project aims at discovering and modeling the dynamic of dengue epidemics. This study focuses
on New Caledonia and Nouméa city.
Description: Funded by CNRT (National Center of Technological research), this project studies quantification of upstream flows and their impact on downstream
transport of solid matter in different geomorphoclimatic contexts.
Description: Funded by French National Research Agency (ANR), this project aims at providing to geologists a semi--automatic and complete process for monitoring soil erosion. This process will be based on multi--temporal very high
resolutions satellite images coupled with digital elevation model (DEM), sensor data and/or expert knowledge. The project will focus more precisely on two important aspects of this process: segmentation of satellite images based on collaborative methods, and construction of descriptive (patterns, clustering, …) and predictive (decision trees, …) spatio-- temporal models. New methods, algorithms and softwares on environmental data will be proposed to assist
experts in their knowledge discovery.
Collaboration in the dry forest program with Agronomic Institute of New Caledonia
Description: This project funded by KNS (Koniambo Nickel SAS) is a preliminary project on environmental data warehousing and knowledge discovery. It aims at investigating spatial and temporal data warehouses (SOLAP: Spatial On-Line Analytical Processing) solutions on an hydrological and marine databases. It involves the implementation of a data warehouse in order to cross thematic data: hydrogeological data, marine data etc.
Associate Member for the IPES 2006-2008Assets Engineer for Samoa Water Authority, Apia SamoaAssistant Engineer for OSM Consultant Ltd, SamoaProject Engineer for Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Suva FijiCountries of Work Experience: Tuvalu, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, FSM, PNG, Nauru, Samoa, Fiji, Palau, Niue, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, TongaGIS Specialist, Asset Management, System Manager, Leak Detector, International Water Representative, Project Manager and Office space Designer
Building Designer, Project Manager, Quality Controller, Residential building specialist, Steel Frame designer, GIS SpecialistProvide engineering and construction advice and logistical support to Papua New Guinea for 10 new remote seismic stations Facilitate design, Tender and supervise new reservoir and tank sheds in Nauru
Facilitate design and supervise 3 Emergency Operation Center’s in Solomon IslandsFacilitate design, Tender and Supervise new Emergency operation Centre for National Government Pohnpei and supervise four EOC renovations Federated States of MicronesiaDesign, Tender and Supervise 33 water borehole rehabilitation in Kingdom of Tonga, and Provide 150 RWH to outer Islands Provided engineering advice and project design and Tender and supervision of the supply of 300 Rain Water harvesting in Tuvalu Facilitate the design, tender and supply and construction of 900 Rain water tanks to the Marshall Islands Facilitate Design, Tender and Supervision of National Emergency and Management Office PalauIn providing the specialist advice and finalize all technical and Architectural design requirements for each country project and ensure that all relevant in-country building and construction protocols are met to the satisfaction of relevant local authorities. Serve as the principal officer in charge of procurement of all materials required for project construction. Responsible for the supervision of construction of facilities and may exercise this responsibility directly or be supported by the Project Manager in this regard. Contracting the responsibility to a qualified firm within each target country. Develop full specifications for the supervision contracts Assist Water Section of SPC on procurement water and piping construction. Assist the Project Manager in all planning, development of project documentation and specifications for construction, procurement of materials and equipment and services, preparation of project costs estimates and implementation schedules, monitoring and reporting on physical progress and assisting with reporting on financial expenditure.Develop terms of reference for the Review of National Building codes and Manual for Niue & Cook Island.