Dr. Gangadhara Narala Reddy is an academic and researcher in Civil Engineering, specializing in Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. from IIT Bhubaneswar and master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering from NIT Bhopal. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji.
Dr. Reddy’s work centers on developing innovative, sustainable solutions to address climate change impacts and enhance resilience in vulnerable regions. He has developed a proposal on geotechnical solutions for riverbank stabilization in Nausori City, Fiji in collaboration with Ministry of Environment and Climate Change reflects his ability to bridge research with practical applications. He is also actively engaged with stakeholders through workshops and training programs, such as the “Workshop on Enhancing Climate Resilience of Fiji’s Road Network” and “Short Term Training Program on Sustainable Materials & Resilient Buildings - Philosophy, Design, Implementation, and Performance”.
Dr. Reddy’s work highlights the critical importance of integrating climate science into civil engineering solutions. He has expertise in designing climate-resilient infrastructure networks in Fiji to withstand climate-induced challenges, ensuring sustainable and disaster-resilient systems including road network, slope stability analysis, and resilient design of foundation systems.
Dr. Reddy has extensive consultancy experience, including geotechnical investigations, soil and rock testing, earth retaining wall design, and addressing collapsible/swelling soils. He has conducted various geotechnical fieldworks for housing projects, red mud and fly ash audits, and pile load tests, contributing to sustainable infrastructure development and engineering solutions.
Dr. Reddy has over 32 Scopus-indexed publications. He co-authored the book "Advances in Sustainable Materials and Resilient Infrastructure" (Springer, 2022) and has delivered invited talks at over 10 international workshops and conferences. His leadership extends to editorial roles, serving as Associate Editor for Innovative Infrastructure Solutions and on editorial boards for Discover Civil Engineering and Discover Geosciences. He has received prestigious fellowships, including the CSC Fellowship for research in China.
Dr. Reddy’s expertise spans sustainable materials, geotechnical engineering, pavement Geotechnics, climate-resilient infrastructure, and use of sustainable material applications for soil stabilization. His commitment to advancing climate change adaptation and mitigation through community engagement and nature-based solutions underscores his contributions to Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Anna Deinhard has over 13 years of experience in the field of climate change adaptation and climate finance.
Anna focuses on advising on international climate policy and finance, building capacity to access climate finance and supporting the elaboration of funding proposals for climate-related initiatives. She offers advisory services to ministries and implementing organizations on climate policy and finance matters. Additionally, she contributes to various research and analytical activities.
Anna has supported SIDS globally, including Belize, Jamaica, St.Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, Maldives, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Niue, Vanuatu and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Dr Robert Kay helps bring people together to solve complex climate change adaptation challenges through data-driven, collaborative action. He is a sought-after technical analyst, strategist and facilitator. His strengths are delivering innovative climate projects to deliver meaningful change as a Team Leader or Technical Expert. He has 30+ years of experience in climate change risk assessment, adaptation, climate financing and strategy in the Pacific. He has worked on risk assessment and adaptation projects in the Pacific for the ADB, World Bank, multiple United Nations, USAID and AusAid. He is a respected and trusted advisor in the Asia-Pacific with a network developed over decades of purpose-driven project delivery. Dr Kay advised Pacific Island delegations to COPs, including being part of the climate adaptation financing team at COP21 in Paris. His private sector advisory experience developed through working with businesses to undertake holistic climate risk assessments and tailoring practical measures for adaptation strategy implementation to mainstream climate policy. His mission is to drive innovative solutions that equitably accelerate climate action, especially for our most vulnerable people, as well as accelerate the adoption of innovative adaptation business solutions.
Project Manager with more than 8 years of experience in the education sector as a secondary school teacher, more than 2 years of experience in the business development sector as a business manager in development banking and more than 10 years in the field of environment, climate change and disaster risks management and resilience building working with donors, development partners and stakeholders. I have over 10 years experience in project management working in 15 countries in the Pacific region. These experiences includes capacity building, business developments, disaster risk management/reduction and climate change adaptation, mitigation and finance, climate science information, biodiversity and land degradation.
I have represented Nauru, Fiji and SPREP at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) and familiar with the UNFCCC processes and procedures in coordination, monitoring and reporting to the UNFCCC secretariat. In addition, I was the development of the Third National Communication Coordinator for Fiji and experience with building capacity by mainstreaming multilateral environment agreement (UNFCCC, UNCBD and UNCCD) into inter-ministerial structures and mechanisms across Fiji Government and non-government organizations.
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.
