Mr. Ivan Vera is a Sustainable Development Officer at the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. He is involved in a number of projects and studies related to climate change, technology transfer, sustainable development and energy. Before joining DSD, he worked as an energy planner at the International Atomic Energy Agency where he managed several international studies on energy indicators for sustainable development and on comprehensive national energy assessments. Also, he conducted technical cooperation and capacity building projects in Latin American countries. Previously, Mr. Vera worked for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; the US Department of Energy; and the Central Thermoelectric Plant of Venezuela. Mr. Vera holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Energy Management and Policy; an MBA degree in Management of Science, Technology and Innovation; and, a BS degree in Chemical Engineering.

Dr Alberto Troccoli recently joined the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Canberra where he coordinates projects and carries out research in the use of meteorological and climate data for renewable energy. Alberto holds a PhD in physical oceanography and climate from the University of Edinburgh (UK) and has worked for several years at ECMWF and prior to that at NASA. Alberto is a co-founder of Climate-Insight a network of consultants, with expertise in climate science, development and policy, providing leadership in climate information knowledge management. He has been the Director of two very well received NATO events: an Advanced Study Institute on Seasonal Forecasting and an Advanced Research Workshop on Weather/Climate and Energy. He is the chief editor and an author of the books “Seasonal Climate: Forecasting and Managing Risk” (2008) and “Management of Weather and Climate Risk in the Energy Industry” (to be published in 2009). Alberto is a member of the panel on energy security and climate change within the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program administered by the World Bank.

Dr. Vladimir Tsirkunov is a task team leader working in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) vice-presidency of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank. He has over 25 years of scientific, applied technical and project management experience in environmental and natural resource management. Since 2003 he is involved in development and implementation of investment projects supporting modernization of National meteorological and hydrological services in ECA region including the Russia Hydromet Modernization Project (project cost is over USD 180 million). This project supports upgrading of most important elements of RosHydromet infrastructure, it strengthens RosHydromet’s capacity to deliver better weather, climate and hydrological services and reduce losses from natural hazards to the economy and people. Vladimir was also a manager and one of key authors of analytical work on “Weather and Climate Services in Europe and Central Asia. A Regional Overview” completed in 2007. Since 2006 he is a member of a Task-Force on Socio-Economic Applications of Public Weather Services, WMO. Prior to joining the World Bank in 1994, Vladimir has been working as a Head of the Laboratory of the Supervision of the USSR (and Russia) System of Hydrochemical Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality Data.