Organizers
The webinar is jointly organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB), GRID-Arendal, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
About the African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund. On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the African Development Bank contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.afdb.org
About GRID-Arendal
GRID-Arendal transforms environmental data into credible, science-based information products delivered through innovative communication tools, and provides capacity-building services. GRID-Arendal supports environmentally sustainable development through partnerships with UNEP and other organizations. For more information: www.grida.no
About the United Nations Environment Programme
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. For more information: www.unep.org
Speakers
Osward Chanda – Manager, Water Security and Sanitation, African Development Bank
Osward Chanda is the manager for water security and sanitation at the African Development Bank, responsible for operations of a project portfolio of over US$ 4.5 billion and an average annual lending program of about US$ 800 million for both public and private operations across Africa. He has worked on infrastructure development financing, water services regulation, institutional reforms, public-private partnership (PPP) structuring, policy and strategy development and manages staff and budget. A global player in the water sector, Chanda has been recognized as an International Water Association Fellow, and has served on the World Water Council Governing Board. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in civil engineering from Zambia and a master's degree from the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Birguy Lamizana – Programme Management Officer, United Nations Environment Programme
Birguy Lamizana is a broad-based development professional with more than 20 years working in the environmental services institutions. Skilled in sustainable development, environmental issues, water quality, biodiversity, and environmental impact assessment, she is a strong community and social services professional with a PhD focused in Environmental Flows Assessment from University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Aarhus University, Denmark. She is currently the Programme Management Officer in charge of wastewater management at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and had worked as the Programme Coordinator for Global Water Partnership-West Africa.
Clever Mafuta – Head of Programme, Waste and Marine Litter, GRID-Arendal
Clever Mafuta has been working in the environment field for almost two decades, focusing mainly on integrated environmental assessment and reporting, as well as project management. At GRID-Arendal, Clever leads activities whose geographical scope is Africa. Lately, most of these activities have had a focus on transboundary water resources management. Prior to joining GRID-Arendal, he was a senior manager at the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre where he was part of the team that put together various environmental outlook reports for southern Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Masters in Crop Protection, both from the University of Zimbabwe. He also studied for a Masters in Business Administration with Nottingham Trent University.
Moderator: Stanley Mubako – Environmental Scientist, California State Water Resources Control Board
Stanley Mubako is affiliated with the California State Water Resources Control Board as an Environmental Scientist. He was formerly Research Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he held a joint appointment at the Centre for Environmental Resource Management and the Geological Sciences Department. Stanley is a certified GIS Professional, Geomentor, and a Fellow of the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program. He received a Ph.D. in Environmental Resources and Policy from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in the United States and holds a Master’s in Water and Environmental Resources Management from the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands.
