Investing in Large-Scale NbS for Water and Adaptation. It ain’t that easy!

Stuart Orr is the Leader of WWF’s Freshwater Practice at World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). He has spent his career devising and testing innovative approaches to freshwater conservation by engaging business and finance, and focussing on emerging themes such as the water-food-energy nexus, economic incentives, bankable financing and water-related risk. He has written numerous scientific papers and publications on issues ranging from corporate water governance to fish protein. He serves on a number of advisory councils and non-profit boards as well as supporting conservation projects in over 40 countries. Stuart holds an MSc in Environment and Development from the School of International Development at the University of East Anglia, UK.

Dean is currently global policy lead for freshwater at WWF International. He holds a MBA from Maastricht University, a Master in Environmental Science from the University of South Africa and recently joined the University of Cambridge's Master of Social Innovation program. He has worked across the consulting and mining industry in Africa before joining WWF-South Africa to lead their source water protection program. Over the last 4 years Dean has led WWF global policy work on water, engaging with UN agencies and governments across the world.

Justine Shapiro-Kline leads planning, urban design, and research projects focused on adaptation to climate change and its impacts. A co-editor of the recent publication Building with Nature: Creating, implementing, and upscaling Nature-based Solutions (ONE & EcoShape; nai010 publishers, 2020), her practice prioritizes participatory design and integration of natural systems to support sustainable community development. Justine co-founded the Community Adaptation Learning Exchange, a peer-learning collective focused on advancing climate adaptation efforts at the community level.

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anirudh work cuts across sectors, including housing, transportation, solid waste management, water and sanitation, electrification, and disciplines, such as remote sensing, econometrics, finance and strategic urban management. He has an established track record of working with government, multilaterals and private sector companies and deploying innovative, data-driven ways ways to assist with project and program implementation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anirudh has consulted for the World Bank, DfID, the International Growth Centre (IGC), and other institutions where he has worked on topics broadly focusing on the dynamics of urban poverty, economic geography, resilience and climate change. Prior to joining Pegasys, Anirudh managed his own firm, jerry-can ltd, which specialized in urban research and project implementation. Prior to that he worked as the lead urban researcher for a Dutch/ Rwanda consultancy, and as a behavioural researcher at a US government consumer finance regulatory authority.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He has worked in multiple countries in Africa (Rwanda, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mauritania, DRC, Ghana, Kenya), Asia (Singapore, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia), and North America. Anirudh holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BA in Economics and History cum laude from Amherst College.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Dan is a Managing Principal at Pegasys. He has more than 13 years’ experience working in the fields of climate change, water, renewable energy, and innovative infrastructure finance. His more recent experience spans Southern Africa (having lived and worked in South Africa for four years) as well as having led multiple engagements in East Africa (Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania) as well as West Africa (Nigeria). He is based in London. Dan specialises in designing innovative financing and project preparation mechanisms for African infrastructure and urban resilience. He has a strong track record of advising government, development finance institutions and bi-lateral donors on the strategic conceptualisation, governance and operating structures for climate change facilities, funds and programs. Dan also has an established track record of helping facilitate the development of impactful public-private partnerships. He built this as an advisor to the Environment Team at the World Economic Forum (WEF). This experience was extended as a partnership & investment advisor at the Global Green Growth Institute in Korea where Dan worked with senior policy makers and corporate executives to launch multi-year investment partnerships for renewable energy in emerging markets. Dan started his career at JPMorgan, Accenture Strategy and is a graduate of Cambridge University.