Turgut Erdem Ergin is a disaster risk management and climate change resilience specialist. He currently works with UNDP Turkey as their Climate Resilient Advisor, is an adjunct professor at the University of Rome on disaster and risk management and coordinates the “Critical Infrastructure Resilience” summer school at the Venice International University. Living in Turkey for the past 5 years, his focus is on making cities and businesses more resilient to the evolving risk profile. His most recent works include: (i) establishment of a business resilience network for TURKONFED, (ii) Istanbul climate change adaptation strategy and action plan for the İBB, (iii) climate resilience strategy for Special Economic Zones for IFC, including new lending offerings, (iv) the first climate risk assessment of power plants in Turkey for EÜAŞ. He also worked with the World Bank to design and supervise the completion of 3 urban risk assessments on critical infrastructure (Çukurova), organized industrial zone (Istanbul) and food systems (İzmir).
Prior to his work in Turkey, he worked 4 years in the US, 7 years in the Caribbean and 1 year in West Africa with the World Bank and UNDP on risk assessment, disaster preparedness and response and post-disaster damage assessment. He holds a BSc degree in chemical engineering from Middle East Technical University, M.Sc. in engineering management with major on crisis, disaster and risk management from George Washington University and M. DeS in urban studies with major on risk and resilience for cities from Harvard University Graduate School of Design