Practical Action at COP31

Tamanna leads Practical Action’s climate resilience work in Bangladesh, supporting communities to prepare for floods, extreme heat, and other climate risks. With over 10 years of experience, she has worked with communities, governments, and international partners on disaster risk reduction, resilient infrastructure, flood resilience, climate change adaptation, early warning systems, climate finance, and nature-based solutions. Tamanna holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, a Master’s degree in Regional Development Planning and Management from TU Dortmund, Germany and the Austral University of Chile.

Denyse is the Country Director of Practical Action Rwanda and is a systems-change leader with 17 years’ experience across development and humanitarian contexts. She has led large, multi-stakeholder programmes that bring together energy, livelihoods, food systems and climate resilience, translating practical solutions into stronger markets, businesses and economic opportunities for underserved communities. As Country Director, she provides strategic leadership to Practical Action’s Rwanda portfolio, working across government, private sector, communities and development partners to advance inclusive, locally led and financially sustainable approaches that can be scaled and sustained.

Mamadou has over 20 years of experience in climate change mitigation and adaptation and has held several strategic positions in the field of climate resilience and sustainable development.

As Practical Action’s Climate and Resilience Lead in West Africa he leads initiatives focused on climate adaptation, ecosystem-based approaches, disaster risk reduction, climate information services, and resilient livelihoods.

Mamadou’s expertise also spans climate finance, adaptation planning, ecosystem-based adaptation, disaster risk management, territorial development, and resilience-building for vulnerable communities.

Venkat Raman is Head of Programme and Operations at Practical Action and will represent the organisation’s India and Asia work at COP31. His role connects programme delivery and operational leadership with partnerships and the practical challenges of bringing climate-resilience solutions to communities. Practical Action’s work across Asia spans locally led adaptation, early warning and climate information, extreme heat, climate-resilient agriculture, resilient livelihoods and access to essential services. At COP31, Venkat intends to engage with governments, delivery partners and funders on translating climate commitments into locally owned action and identifying opportunities to scale approaches that work.

Bisesh has more than 12 years of experience advancing climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and inclusive development. Throughout his career with organisations including CARE, ActionAid, and Practical Action, he has worked at the intersection of strategic communications, partnership building, resource mobilisation, and advocacy, helping connect local realities with national, regional, and global policy conversations. He has led high-impact campaigns, multimedia storytelling initiatives, emergency communications, and donor engagement efforts that elevate the experiences and priorities of communities most vulnerable to climate change and inequality. Bisesh is particularly interested in fostering cross-sector collaboration and advancing locally driven, scalable solutions that strengthen climate adaptation, resilience, and sustainable development.