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.
Worked as an advisor on Public Health, Health Research Manager for the Fiji Ministry of Health. Lecturer at the Fiji School of Medicine in the School of Public Health. Did a reveiw on the impact of health intervention program amongst youth in Fiji.
Worked as the Director of Environment in Fiji and cordinate the reviw of Environment Laws such as Environment Management Act, Endangered Protected Species Act, Ozone Act and regulations. Take leadership in their enforcement. Worked with development partners in Fiji and the region and also at international level on the implementation of projects and ratification of Multilateral Environment Agreements. Assisted Government of Fiji on the establishment of major development projects that undergoes the EIA processes. Advisor on environmnet management for the Fiji Government and contributed to the development policies in otther sectros such as energy, water, agriculture, tourism, forestry etc.
Currently the Planning and Capacity Advisor for SPREP with focus on development of Environmnet planning tools and raising capacities of countries on Environment Impact Assessment. Worked with Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu and delivered an EIA training for its practitioners. Worked with Fiji, Vanuatu, Tuvalu on the development of the National Environmnet Management Strategies linking it to the their National Sustainable Developmet Strategies and also to regional and international Multilateral Environmnet Agreements. Worked with other divisions of SPREP in the area of waste, climate change and biodiversity
Pacific Water Resources Product Development Lead, 2007 to Present
Product Development Lead for rainfall products and their distribution within the Pacific under a grant funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Research Highlights:
? Developed and disseminated climate products, quarterly climate outlooks, and publications geared toward small islands within the Pacific Basin.
? Hosted in-country dialogues in the Marshall Islands, American Samoa, and Cook Islands which brought users and providers together for a round of targeted and intensive exchange of information.
? Established coastal precipitation dataset and transferred information to water resource managers, disaster managers, and agro-forestry users and the public via website interface.
? Cultivated new and enriched existing partnerships with inter-agency personnel, indigenous Pacific Islanders, nonprofit organizations, and academia.
? Served as the freshwater resources lead on the Pacific Climate Informati
I am a marine chemist with experience in climate change as it pertains to the ocean, namely ocean acidification, increasing sea surface temperatures, and I also have experience in coastal biogeochemical cycles. I have also researched chemical and biological interactions at hydrothermal vents. I am currently working as the Pacific Islands Global Ocean Observing System (PI-GOOS) Coordinator at SPREP, and as part of the Pacific Meteorology Desk Partnership.
I am a climate change and international development professional with 9 years experience managing international climate change projects in 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific. I worked for the Australian Government for 6 years in high-level policy and program roles and served as the Regional Program Manager of the Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning (PACCSAP) Program based in Samoa during 2012-2014. I am skilled in project formulation, program management and policy analysis and specialise in climate risk management, climate resilient infrastructure design, coastal adaptation planning, national adaptation planning, policy-relevant communication, community-based adaptation and program evaluation. I thrive in multidisciplinary and multicultural team environments and have extensive experience applying integrated adaptation planning approaches in Pacific Island Countries.
I have professional experience in climate change finance work in the Pacific Islands region in ensuring the vulnerable Pacific Island Countries (PICs) enhance their access to, and management of, international climate finance. In addition I also possess skills and expertise in aspects of UNFCCC negotiations and training for PICs , rural development, climate change policy, coordination and advisory support on mitigation, adaptation and financing, wastewater management, water quality, coastal pollution, conservation and biodiversity, environmental policy and planning & fisheries management.
I have specialised trainings in basic leadership skills, climate change policy, climate change financing and negotiations in the UNFCCC, wastewater management, fisheries management, conservation and environmental management & natural resource policy and planning.
Over 12 years total experience in Pacific island project management and implementation in the areas of environmental information, knowledge management and clearinghouse mechanisms. 9 years in consultancy work with consultant expanding her coverage to Results-based corporate planning; Monitoring & Evaluation; Organisational Review; Community assessments; climate resilience policy and institutional review; project and program designing and proposal writing for several clients in Samoa and the Pacific. Drafted, designed and implemented the 1st ever Pacific Island owned Rapid Response Fund and Regional Technical Support Mechanism - funded by ADB and administered by SPREP under the guidance of the Working Arm of the CROP Executives SubCommittee on Climate Change & Disaster Resilient Development (WARD). Launched in July 2014 by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, the RTSM and RRF is hosted within the SPREP and services 14 ADB Developing Member Countries (DMCs)
Fifteen years of experience with environmental assessment and planning, sustainable development and climate change in government, inter-government, non-government and academic organisations. Extensive knowledge of the agricultural, mining, energy and tourism sectors. Examples of work and project experience: incorporated climate change and disaster risk management considerations in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) guidelines and EIA training courses for Pacific Island countries; audited the energy and water consumption of mainstream and eco-tourism operators in Queensland, Australia; developed a methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions for the Australian tourist accommodation sector; identified mechanisms for building social-ecological resilience in tropical savanna landscapes; developed environmental research and management recommendations for seabed mining in northern Australia; authored the Darwin Harbour Water Quality Protection Plan (Australia).
Over 30 years of broad ranging experience in the water & sewerage industry covering capital works planning and budgeting, infrastructure design & construction, operation & maintenance, water resource investigation & development and billing activities.
Dynamic and dedicated professional with strong technical and policy background. Advanced qualifications (PhD) in environmental sciences, climate change & energy. Distinguished record in academia as a teacher, researcher and administrator. Extensive inter-governmental experience at international levels, in climate change. Over 20 years experience in climate change and related issues, mainly in Pacific but also worked in Africa and Asia. Public service experience, having worked for Governments of Australia, Fiji and Marshall Islands and international NGOs such as Independent Diplomat (ID). Considerable experience working for international organisations such as UNEP, ADB, regional organsations such as SPREP as climate change technical expert, and USP. Serves on the UNFCCC Roster of Experts. Extremely familiar with all issues in the UNFCCC climate negotiations. Extensive record of developing, managing, implementing and monitoring projects at national and global levels. Excels at working in a fast paced, multi-cultural environment and has excellent communication skills.
I'm a trained Environment & Climate Change Adaptation Practitioner/Specialist with over 10 years of practice and consultancy experiences. Provided technical advice to Governments of Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu on policy changes, marine resource use, climate change. Area of expertise includes; policy analysis, environment management systems, V&A, M&E, mainstreaming climate change adaptation interventions into planning processes, MPA, community engagement and workshop facilitation. Authored book on, Climate Change Adaptation and the Coastal Zone of S.Tarawa (2014), "Kiribati: the inter-linkages and the array of adaptation barriers and limits". Co-authored the "Kiribati Second National Communication Report to the UNFCCC" (2013) and other technical reports.
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.