Collaborators
She works on climate change adaptation, risk and decision-making under uncertainty. At the Grantham Research Institute, her work is focused on developing a risk-assessment framework to support successful adaptation strategies in coastal cities. Elisa has a background in Science (BSc. in Geological Sciences, 2001) from the University of the Basque Country and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and Management at the School of Industrial Organization in Madrid (2002).
After working for an industrial business group, in 2005 she was appointed Director of Biodiversity of the Basque Government. During this stage, she developed a strong interest in the science-policy interface, so in 2009 she enrolled in a doctoral programme on Quaternary and Environmental Change studies. In 2010 Elisa joined BC3 where she developed her PhD on the environmental and economic impacts of sea-level rise in the Basque Coast. While working on her PhD, she has also been involved in several research projects related to the economics of climate change adaptation.
Ibon Galarraga (Basque Centre for Climate Change, BC3) is a recognised expert on climate change economics and has been lately working to apply finance economics methods to the field of climate change.
He has worked as an environmental consultant for both public and private clients such as the World Bank, Interamerican Development Bank (IDB), the Department for International Development of the British Government or the Basque Government. During July 2005 and May 2009, he was the Deputy Minister for the Environment of the Basque Government, Executive Vice-president of the Environmental Public Society IHOBE and Member of the Board of the Basque Energy Board (EVE).
He has been actively participating in COPs from 2005. In 2009 he joined the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) in 2009 as Research Professor. He is currently coordinator of the Climate Policy Research Line at BC3 and leader of the Adaptation research group that aims to bring together adaptation economics and adaptation policy. He has published more than 40 research papers and 14 book chapters and actively contributed to more than 12 international research projects.
María Ruiz de Gopegui is an architect and urban planner specialized in urban management and climate adaptation. She is PhD student at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3).
She received her MSc in Architecture with a specialization in Landscape and Environment at University of Navarra (Spain) in 2011. Since then, she has developed her professional career around urban planning and landscape design with a strong focus on sustainability collaborating with different offices, mainly in Mexico but also in Portugal and Spain. In 2017 she started a MSc on Urban Management and Development from in IHS, Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands), focusing on the «Urban Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change» specialization. She developed her master thesis in the field of Urban Ecosystem Services, entitled: “Analysis of Urban Ecosystem Services supply and demand in Taunggyi, Myanmar”. She is actively involved in designing and promoting urban development strategies that improve citizens’ quality of life, reducing social inequalities and enhancing urban resilience to environmental challenges.
Kayin Venner was a trainee at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) (October 2018 – January 2019) and a recent graduate of the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (Venice, Italy).
Before completing his studies in human rights and democratisation in September 2018, he obtained a master’s degree in Public Policy and Governance (cum laude) at the University of Amsterdam, and a bachelor’s degree at Wageningen University in International Development Studies (cum laude). During his studies in the Netherlands, he was project coordinator at Green Office Wageningen and secretary of the Young Scientific Bureau of the Green Left (Hellingproef). Kayin is a member of the Worldconnectors, a Dutch network of opinion leaders from different backgrounds who commit themselves to a sustainable, just and peaceful world. Kayin has been granted an Erasmus mobility grant through the Erasmus+ Programme.
Rachel Smith was an intern at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) (January-March 2019) and is working towards an MSc degree in Global Change: Ecosystem Science and Policy.
She received her BS in civil engineering (cum laude) from Bucknell University (United States) in 2017. For the following year, she worked at an environmental consulting firm in Pennsylvania as an engineer in the field of wastewater and drinking water treatment where she gained experience working with clients in both the government and private sectors. While working there, she volunteered for the internal position of northeast regional environmental stewardship coordinator to facilitate the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals throughout the company’s northeast offices. She is currently a master’s student in a dual degree program between the University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland) and the Justus Liebig University (Giessen, Germany).
Julia Cambronero was guest researcher at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) (February-July 2019) and is developing her MSc Thesis research in the framework of the project CLIC.
Graduated in the degree of Geography and Territory Planning by the University of Murcia in 2015, she completed the last year of her degree at Federico II University of Naples, thanks to the Erasmus + programme. In September 2016, she was admitted by the University of Copenhagen to study the two-year MSc in Climate Change. Taking this master course has allowed her to participate in the SLUSE program, an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural teaching and research on sustainable land use and natural resource management in collaboration with the University of Malaysia. As well as the participation in the course of Climate Solutions, working as an environmental consultant for private and public companies.
Ama Kissiwah Boateng was guest researcher at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) (September 2019) and is currently working on her Ph.D. research in the framework of the project CLIC.
She completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Urban Management Tools for climate change from the IHS-Erasmus University in Rotterdam in 2017. In the same year, she completed a Master of Science Degree in Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the University of Ghana. Ama studied a Bachelor of Science Degree in Real Estate from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2014. In June 2019, Ama worked as a Stakeholder and Regional Support Intern at the UNFCCC and supported the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) Unit on the implementation of the Nairobi Framework Partnership. She also worked for a year as a Teaching and Research Assistant in the University of Ghana, on green business practices, environmental management practices and urban climate change adaptation and mitigation. Prior to that, Ama spent 2 years with the Environmental Protection Agency in the Eastern Region of Ghana, overseeing environmental awareness programs in the various Municipalities and Districts Assemblies (MMDAs) and investigating environmental complaints. Ama is PhD student at the National University of Public Service (Budapest, Hungary) and her research will look at institutional frameworks for urban climate change governance in African cities.
Kimberly Hidalgo Hernández was a guest researcher at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) (Sept 2019 – February 2020) and is a recent Master’s graduate from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California.
Having received her bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco (cum laude) in International Studies, she wanted to obtain a deeper understanding of the dynamics between global development and government legislation, therefore pursuing a Master’s degree in International Policy and Development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (cum laude) in Monterey, California. Finding sustainable means to develop is her passion, and this all starts with understanding climate change and the frameworks that shape today’s global pedestal. Her goal is to promote a deeper awareness of the effects of climate change in society and in the world of politics.
Sean Goodwin is a ‘La Caixa INPhINIT’ doctoral research fellow working on climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions and cities.
He completed his MSc in environment and resource management, specialising in ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation, from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2018. Previous to that, he came from a background in law and liberal arts at the University of Queensland, Australia, focusing on domestic and international environmental law, international relations, and language. With this background, his primary research interests are interdisciplinary in focus. Now at BC3 through a La Caixa INPhINIT doctoral research fellowship, his work triangulates three themes; climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions, and cities, as he aims to understand and strengthen the role of socio-ecological approaches to urban climate adaptation.
Sascha Goonesekera is a guest researcher at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) (January-June 2021) and is working towards a MA degree in International Relations, specializing in International Security.
A graduate of the Global Studies degree from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. Thanks to the Erasmus program, he was able to complete his penultimate semester at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He is currently a master’s student at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, perusing an International Relations MA, focusing on International Security. During his academic career, he has developed an interest in broadening the notion of security. As such, his main research interests are the links between sustainability and climate change with security, particularly at the individual level. As such, he is also an advocate for furthering notion of Human Security.