Our Experts

Demet works to ensure climate adaptation and resilience are embedded across Practical Action’s programmes. She holds a PhD in Environmental Justice and is passionate about helping communities most affected by climate change through locally led and gender-responsive approaches.

Can speak on:

• Climate adaptation & resilience finance and policy
• Extreme heat governance
• Climate justice and gender-responsive climate action

Awadalla has worked with Practical Action for over 15 years, supporting communities across Darfur to adapt to the combined impacts of climate change, conflict and displacement. Having lived in Darfur his entire life, he brings first-hand experience of the challenges facing the region and works with vulnerable communities to strengthen climate resilience through sustainable agriculture and water conservation. 

Can speak on: 

• Climate adaptation in fragile and conflict-affected settings 

• Food security, sustainable agriculture and water conservation 

• How conflict and climate change are affecting communities in Sudan  

Mamadou leads Practical Action’s Climate and Resilience work across West Africa. A climate finance specialist, he has close to 20 years of experience supporting governments, communities and organisations to respond to climate change and build resilience across the region.

He has advised major climate adaptation and climate finance programmes in West and East Africa and is a member of Senegal’s National Climate Change Committee. He is currently pursuing a PhD exploring the links between climate change and health in Senegal. His work focuses on helping vulnerable communities prepare for climate impacts, access funding and strengthen resilience.

Can speak on:

• Climate adaptation and resilience in West Africa and the Sahel
• Climate finance and access to funding for local communities
• Local climate action, governance and the role of local governments

Roxana is Director of Practical Action’s Biodiverse Landscapes Fund programme, a £14 million UK Government-funded initiative supporting forest protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods across the Andes- Amazon region in Ecuador and Perú. A Forestry Engineer from the Peruvian Amazon, she has more than 25 years of experience in conservation, climate action and sustainable development.

She helped develop an innovative financing mechanism that increases funding for Indigenous organisations, giving local communities greater control over how resources are invested and helping ensure support reaches those on the frontline of protecting forests. She holds a master’s degree in development project management and Natural Resource Economics.

Can speak on:

• Indigenous-led climate and nature finance
• Biodiversity loss and environmental crime in the Amazon
• Climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and forest protection
• How UK-backed investment is helping protect the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
• How certification is helping small farmers produce and sell deforestation-free coffee, cocoa and timber from the Amazon.

Balvanera is Practical Action’s Ecuador Country Representative and Deputy Director of the Andes-Amazon Programme. She leads partnerships and programmes focused on sustainable livelihoods, local governance, women’s leadership and climate resilience across Ecuador and the wider Andes-Amazon region.

Previously, she served as a Director at Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, where she oversaw 72 protected areas. She has more than 14 years of experience in sustainable development, ecosystem conservation and community-led environmental management.

Can speak on:

• Conservation, biodiversity and protected areas
• Climate resilience and local governance
• Community-led development and sustainable livelihoods

Dharam leads Practical Action’s climate and resilience work across Asia and is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has more than 18 years of experience in climate change, People centric early Warning System, disaster risk reduction, natural resource management and locally led adaptation.

He has represented Nepal at multiple UN climate conferences (COP26-COP29), Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and has extensive experience working with governments, communities and international organisations on climate policy, climate and disaster resilience.

Can speak on:

• Climate adaptation and resilience in Asia
• Disaster preparedness, anticipatory action and early warning systems
• International climate policy and climate negotiations

Denise is the Country Director of Practical Action Rwanda, providing strategic leadership for the organization’s country programme, partnerships and resource mobilization. With over 18 years of experience in humanitarian and international development across East Africa, she has built a reputation for advancing market-based solutions that create sustainable economic opportunities for refugees and vulnerable communities.

Her work spans humanitarian energy, clean cooking, financial inclusion, climate-smart agriculture and women’s economic empowerment. Denise is particularly recognized for connecting humanitarian response with long-term development by strengthening local markets, fostering private sector partnerships and expanding opportunities for people to build resilient livelihoods. She believes that lasting impact comes from enabling people to participate in and benefit from thriving local economies, rather than relying on long-term aid.

Throughout her career, Denise has worked with governments, UN agencies, development partners, financial institutions and businesses to design and scale practical solutions that improve lives while strengthening local systems.

Available to speak on:

• Bridging humanitarian response with long-term development and economic inclusion.
• How markets can help displaced communities move beyond aid dependence.
• Expanding access to finance and economic opportunities for refugees, women and underserved communities.
• Clean cooking: Scaling solutions that improve health, livelihoods and environmental sustainability.
• Expanding sustainable energy access to improve lives, livelihoods and essential services in displacement settings.
• Women’s economic empowerment: Creating opportunities through entrepreneurship, access to finance and inclusive market systems.