Technical expertise in detail:

Jeremy Carew-Reid - Director

Climate change, water resources, biodiversity conservation, protected areas, environmental policy and institutional development

Jeremy Carew-Reid is Director of ICEM and Chair of the ICEM Board. He has more than 30 years experience working in 28 countries in five regions of the world in institution building, strategic planning, climate change, environmental management, protected areas and biodiversity conservation. He holds a BSc (Honours) and PhD in Environmental Impact Assessment. Jeremy was Director of Global Conservation Services for IUCN – The World Conservation Union based in Switzerland, and prior to that, IUCN’s Country Representative in Nepal. He was the first director of SPREP, the South Pacific Regional Environment Program, a partnership of the 22 island countries of Oceania. He was Chief Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Vietnam and the National Planning Commission in Nepal in integrating environment with investment planning. Earlier, he was a senior project officer with the Australian Government National Parks and Wildlife Service. In the past five years, Jeremy has been Team Leader in more than 20 projects in Asia and participated as a technical specialist in many others. His work has ranged from climate change impact and adaptation studies and strategic environmental assessments for sectors and areas, through to integrated regional planning and policy development at local, national to international levels.

Jeremy has worked in the following regions and countries: SE Asia: Malaysia; Thailand; Vietnam; China; Cambodia; Lao PDR and regional programs, particularly relating to the Mekong region. South Asia: Nepal; Pakistan; Sri Lanka; Bangladesh; and regional programs. Africa: Kenya; Ethiopia; Zambia; Zimbabwe and regional programs. Latin America: Costa Rica, Argentina and regional programs. Oceania: Australia; Papua New Guinea; Solomon Islands; Vanuatu; New Caledonia; Fiji; Tonga; Western Samoa; Guam; Palau; Northern Marianas and regional programs. Europe: Switzerland; Spain and regional programs.

Return to top

Tarek Ketelsen - Director Technical Program

Environmental system engineering

Tarek Ketelsen is an Environmental Systems Engineer with experience in designing water supply systems as well as undertaking hydrological studies and Environmental Impact Assessments. He has worked on projects in Australia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Vietnam. Most recently he worked for the Vietnamese Southern Institute for Water Resource Planning, as part of AusAID’s AYAD program, designed to build capacity and technical competency of water resource planning in the Mekong Delta. During this time, he provided advice on the Government of Vietnam’s Master Plan for the Mekong Delta, as well as the Institute’s submission to the second phase of the MRC BDP. He was also involved in a pre-feasibility options study for drinking water treatment in Dong Thap province, and produced templates and checklists for an EIA on a canal extension through Kien Giang and An Giang provinces.

Previously, working in the global mining industry, Tarek was involved in flood and hydraulic modelling of catchments and river channels in remote Western Australia and Tanzania as well as the design of earthworks to control surface water and allow continuity and security of mining operations. He also contributed significantly to the design of numerous water supply pipelines in Australia, Indonesia and Mongolia, as well as coordinating community activities to rehabilitate unsealed roads and pipelines in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In Australia, he has helped to design hydrological monitoring plans for wetlands and river systems threatened by urban sprawl, as well as undertaken analysis to assess the fate and transport of contaminants from mining operations in nearby river and groundwater systems.

Return to top

Ashley Kingsborough - Senior Climate Change Specialist

Climate change adaptation, water resources, sustainability assessment, protected areas management

Ashley Kingsborough is a chartered Environmental Engineer with extensive work experience in water resource management, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainability assessment. He has worked on hydrological modeling and integrated water resource management on a number of projects in Vietnam and the region. He has extensive experience managing projects in South-East Asia, Australia and the Pacific. 

Most recently Ashley has been working as Project Manager, Water Resources/Environmental Engineer and Climate Change Adaptation Specialist on numerous internationally funded projects. These projects include the ADB funded review of the Water Resources Law in Vietnam, the World Bank Red River Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, and the recent ADB project to strengthen the capacity of Pacific developing member countries to respond to climate change. His experience working on climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation has included developing climate change adaptation processes, and the development of commercial climate change processes and technologies in Australia. Ashley worked extensively on hydrological modeling and integrated water resource management for the cultural heritage component of the Hue Water and Environment project and the Hoi An flood preparedness study. As well as managing a review of biodiversity conservation and natural resource management practices in proposed Biosphere Reserves for the UNESCO laboratories for sustainable development. Previously, he contributed significantly to the hydraulic and hydrological modeling for engineering designs of open channel systems in Australia, as well as undertaken rapid field assessment and analysis of the River Murray flood plan and flood mapping for the development of disaster management in urban areas.

Ashley has undertaken research into the adverse impacts of climate change in Bangladesh. He holds a Masters in Environmental Change and Management from Oxford University and degrees in Environment Engineering and Environmental Science from Adelaide University. He recently received recognition as one of Australia’s most inspiring young engineers in 2010.

Return to top

Simon Tilleard - Water Resources Engineer

Water resources engineer, hydrological and hydraulic modelling and analysis, water quality modelling

Simon is a Water Resources Engineer with experience in hydrological modelling and analysis, hydraulic modelling and analysis, water quality modelling, and waterway rehabilitation/erosion control design. Simon also has experience in the design and implementation of monitoring programs, and governance and structure reviews. He has worked on projects in Australia and Vietnam. Simon has degrees in Environment Engineering and Environmental Science from Melbourne University. Most recently he worked for the Vietnamese Institute for Water Resource Planning, as part of AusAID’s AYAD program, designed to build capacity and technical capability for water resource management. At the Institute, he provided advice and training on water quality modelling of reservoirs and estuaries.  He also undertook capacity building training and workshops on topics such as environmental flows at the Institute and the Hanoi Water Resources University.

In Australia, Simon has completed many waterway rehabilitation and waterway design projects including designing works such as rock groynes, rock chutes, grass chutes, wooden pilings, river diversions and fish ladders. Simon has also undertaken the design and implementation of a number of monitoring programs for environmental flow and project progress assessment purposes. He has been involved in the strategic review of government programs to assess their viability for the future.

Return to top

John Sawdon - Senior Economist

Social and environmental economics

John Sawdon is a social and environmental economist with wide experience of development projects, particularly in Vietnam and SE Asia. John has worked as a rural development specialist and on rural poverty reduction assessments, for example, for the Northern Mountains Poverty Reduction Project funded by the World Bank and MPI Vietnam, as socio economic specialist and team leader on the community development component of the Central Region Livelihoods Improvement Project funded by the ADB and on surveys and evaluations conducted in rural Vietnam for donors such as UNICEF and the Embassy of Finland. In addition, John has worked on infrastructure and development projects involving impact assessment and cost benefit analysis. These include a recent ICEM study of the impacts of climate change and climate change adaptation in HCMC funded by the ADB, the JICA funded integrated urban development project in Danang and surrounding areas, and sustainable urban transport in medium sized Vietnamese cities with a case study in Hai Phong funded by the World Bank. John was also socio economic specialist on the ICEM SEA of hydropower development in the Vu-Gia Thu-Bon river basin and worked as team leader and economist for the World Bank on a research project concerning sustainable development in the urban fringe.

John holds an MSc in Economics with respect to the Asia Pacific region and is currently reading for a PhD in the economics of climate change mitigation policy in rapidly developing countries with a focus on South East Asia at the School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, UK. John is an affiliate of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and a member of the International Association of Energy Economists.

Return to top

Tristan Skinner - IWRM Specialist

River basin management

Tristan is an environmental scientist specializing in the management of aquatic ecosystems, water resources, and catchment management, including environmental flows, river restoration and management of wetlands and estuarine environments. Most recently Tristan worked with the Water Resources and Environment Administration, Government of Lao PDR providing technical advice and services for river basin management and monitoring. Specifically Tristan assisted in the development of river basin management plans, water quality and river health monitoring, and developing capacity building training and workshops for the National University of Lao and government agencies.

In Australia Tristan worked on environmental flow projects for river and wetland systems in the Murray Darling basin, catchment management strategic planning and river and wetland health Assessment for multiple catchment management authorities and the Department of Environment and Sustainability. Previously, Tristan has worked on major engineering projects supplying environmental advice and services for Environmental Impact Assessments and Environmental Effects Statements including aquatic and terrestrial field surveys. Tristan recently completed a Graduate Certificate in River Health Management through the University of Melbourne, further grounding his knowledge in the integrated catchment management, river and waterway protection and restoration, and community engagement.

Return to top

Peter-John Meynell - Cheif Scientist

Natural systems and environment assessment

Peter-John Meynell is a freshwater biologist with more than 30 years of experience in dealing with environmental and development issues in South East Asia, South Asia and Southern and Central Africa. For four years, he was the Team Leader for the Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Program (MRC, UNDP, IUCN) which involved extensive environmental studies, local development planning, training in SEA/EIA, livelihood supports and close working relations with the four LMB central and local governments. He has worked in the Lower Mekong Basin for more than ten years. He has undertaken many SEAs and EIAs in different parts of the world, including EIAs for hydropower projects in Vietnam and Lao PDR. He is involved in the Cumulative Impact Assessment for hydropower development on the 3S rivers in the LMB with MRC and a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and Strategic Action Plan for transboundary IWRM on the Okavango River Basin which has many similarities with the Mekong. He is working on two major ICEM projects concerned with SEA and climate change – one in Ho Chi Minh City on the impact of climate change on the natural systems, urban planning and transport sectors and the other covering the Mekong Delta in which sector development and water/aquatic systems management are the central focus.

Return to top

Mai Ky Vinh - Senior GIS Specialist

Geographical Information System and remote sensing specialist, natural resource management

Mai Ky Vinh is a senior GIS and remote sensing specialist with more than 17 years experience working in South East Asia. He has worked in remote sensing and GIS for forest inventory and planning, forest monitoring and assessment, land use planning, biodiversity and conservation, watershed classification, and marine conservation. He holds an MSc in natural resource management and a degree in engineering.

Vinh has worked with a wide range of government and international organisations and donor agencies to develop GIS databases, undertake GIS, GPS and remote sensing analysis and mapping, as well as capacity building programs and training courses for government and project counterparts. Since 2009, Vinh has been using GIS and RS for carbon emission estimations for REDD and climate change analysis. He has worked in the forestry and natural resource management sectors in Vietnam, Lao, Thailand and Cambodia.

Return to top

Benoit Laplante - Senior Economist

Environmental economics

Benoit Laplante’s main fields of expertise are environmental economics, environmental financing, economic instruments for pollution control, and cost-benefit analysis. Benoit has a Bachelor of Commerce, Master of Science (Economics), and a Ph.D. in Environmental Economics. He has worked on water management projects, testing economic and market-based instruments and changes to pricing and tariff policies. Benoit has developed operational, commercial, financial, and environmental performance indicators for water and wastewater utilities for benchmarking performance. He has designed public disclosure programs for industrial environmental performance and national and local environment and conservation funds, including the preparation of regulations and operational guidelines. He has extensive experience in economic analysis of environmental and social impacts of major projects and

He has worked for 15 years as an environmental economist in Armenia; the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, China; Columbia; Ghana; and the Indian Ocean countries of Comorres, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. In recent years, Benoit has been particularly active in South East Asia, mainly Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Philippines; Thailand; and Viet Nam. Benoit serves as a Resource Person for the Economy and Environment Program for South-East Asia (EEPSEA), providing guidance to researchers throughout the region, and has conducted numerous training courses on specific topics in environmental economics and cost-benefit analysis. He regularly works to support the environmental economics activities of bilateral (including CIDA, DANIDA, the European Union, and USAID), and multilateral institutions (including the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank).

Return to top

Jiri Dusik

Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment

Jiri Dusik has 15 years of experience with environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA). He specializes in integration of SEA into regional development planning, land-use planning and socio-economic planning.

Jiri holds a Degree in Water Resource Engineering from the Czech Technical University. After working as an editor of the Czech National EIA Newsletter, he moved to the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe where he managed the Sofia EIA Initiative - a large regional program launched by the third Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" to facilitate SEA reforms in Central and Eastern Europe. Through this program he contributed to the development of 3 national SEA guidelines, implementation of 23 SEAs pilot projects and to 8 capacity development initiatives in 14 countries of Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union.

In 2001-2003, Jiri headed the Czech delegation for the negotiations on the UNECE SEA Protocol to the Espoo Convention. He co-authored a Resource Manual for the Practical Application of the SEA Protocol. He is a lead author of a SEA Handbook for European Union’s Cohesion Policy in 2007-2013. He was a core team member for the UNEP Integrated Assessment and Planning for Sustainable Development Initiative (2003-2005).

More recently Jiri has worked in Asia on an international study on SEA (2002) in Japan, and on SEA training programs in Thailand (2003) and China (2004, 2006). At present, he is the EIA/SEA Advisor to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Vietnam through the SEMLA program on environment and land administration.

Jiri served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Impact Assessment (2003-2006) and co-chaired the first global IAIA conference on SEA (International experience and perspectives in SEA) in Prague, 2005.

Return to top

Nguyen Xuan Nguyen

Economics, development policy and sustainable financing

Nguyen Xuan Nguyen holds a PhD and MA in Development Economics. For 20 years, he was a senior official with the Central Institute for Economic Management in Vietnam, then was nominated to work as deputy director for Economic Secretariat of the Central Executive Committee of Government. From 2002-5 he worked as a consultant on projects concerned with trade liberalization, agricultural planning and management, micro finance, community development, poverty alleviation and environment protection. He has specialized in services for economic development in Vietnam, including renovation planning, land reform and rural financing. In recent years, Nguyen has expanded his field to institutional and policy analysis, capacity building, environment protection, and natural disaster mitigation. He has participated in assessing and preparing projects such as Vietnam Conservation Fund for forest sector (2000), Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Vietnam (2003), Contingency Fund for Natural Disaster Mitigation (2004), Protected Areas Policy Analysis (2005), Country Environment Analysis (2006) and other short term consultation services promoting sustainable use of natural resources and environmental quality. He has extensive experience and networks from working with NGOs, international organizations and government institutions.

Return to top

Mark Halle

International environmental policy, trade and financing

Mark Halle is an ICEM Board Member. He is the director of the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) office in Europe, and also of its global program on Trade and Investment. A joint citizen of the United States and Italy, he spent the bulk of his career in international environmental affairs. He began as a Program Officer in the Policy Planning Unit of the United Nations Environment Program, moving to the World Wildlife Fund - International, responsible for its program in China. He then helped to establish the Conservation for Development Centre in IUCN - the World Conservation Union, moving on to become, successively, the Director of Field Operations, the Director of Development, and finally the Director for Global Policy and Partnerships in IUCN. He left IUCN in 1997 to set up the IISD Office in Europe. He is also the founder and first Chairman of the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, and sits on a wide range of boards and advisory committees for trade-related organizations in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia. He frequently lectures and publishes on trade, investment and environmental issues.

Return to top

David James

Natural resource economics

David James is an ICEM Board member. He has more than 30 years practical and research experience specialising in environmental and natural resource economics. He has conducted economic assessments and provided policy advice on forestry, fisheries, agriculture, drylands, catchments, riverine systems, coastal zones, energy systems, water and sewerage, solid waste, urban development, air and water pollution, and protected areas. David holds a BA Degree (1st Class Hons Economics), an MA (Economics) and a PhD (Economics). He is a United Nations Global 500 Award for his pioneering work in environmental impact assessment and natural resource management incorporating economic principles and a recipient of an East West Makana Team Award for his work in environmental economics.

Since 1988 David has served as Special Commissioner on the Australian Resource Assessment Commission’s Forest and Timber Inquiry, Member of the NSW Natural Resources Audit Council, Co-Chair of the NSW Economic and Social Technical Committee for the Regional Forestry Agreement Process, Independent Adviser to several Government Commissions of Inquiry, and Member of numerous governmental advisory committees. He is currently providing technical advice to the NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources relating to coastal management and strategic planning for regional development and natural resource management.

David has worked extensively in developing countries, including as ICEM Senior Economist on the Protected Areas and Development Review in the Mekong region. He serves as a Resource Person for the Economy and Environment Program for South-East Asia (EEPSEA), providing guidance and training to researchers throughout the region.

Return to top

Operations expertise in detail:

Nguyen Thi Nga - Director Operations

Program coordination, management

Nga has seven years experience working in the transport sector, community development and environmental management in poor provinces. She has a BSc, a University Teachers Certificate, a Chief-Accountants Certificate and UNIDO Accredited Trainer Certificate. Her years on the Vietnam Government’s Ho Chi Minh highway project involved working with minority and poor isolated communities with special social and environmental problems and needs. The environmental, social and economic impact of this large road project on these groups was a major concern and Nga was involved in the detailed impact assessment. She then worked for several years with women’s groups in three provinces, on their environmental, social and economic concerns. Women have an important role to play in responding to local environmental problems – their ability to work and use natural resources sustainably was an important focus of the project. During the past five years, Nga has been ICEM’s Director of Operations and closely involved in the design and delivery of ICEM projects, for example, on (i) river pollution and its relation to public health, (ii) strategic environmental assessments of hydropower development in river basins and (iii) climate change impact and adaptation studies in HCMC and the Mekong Delta. Nga’s role includes building relations with affected local communities and government. She has a key role in facilitating cross government discussion between sectors and national and local levels.

Return to top

Nguyen Bich Ngoc - Senior Program Development Officer

Project coordination, administration, business development

Nguyen Bich Ngoc is a Senior Project Administrator with over five years experience as a strategic member in numerous development projects funded by the World Bank, ADB and other bilateral donors. Ngoc holds a Bachelor degree in English from the College of Foreign Languages, Hanoi National University, and a Bachelor in External Economics from the Hanoi Foreign Trade University.

Ngoc previously worked for a Hanoi based international consultancy where she had a key role in business development and project coordination. She has been closely involved in many key projects in Vietnam and the Mekong region, including:(i) WB Drinking Water Quality Management in rural areas of Lao PDR; (ii) MRC Wetland Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment project; (iii) ADB Mekong delta bridges rapid climate change threat & vulnerability assessment; and (iv) CPWF Challenge Project. Ngoc is closely involved in the implementation and coordination of project activities.

Return to top

Nguyen Phuong Chi - Finance Manager

Nguyen Phuong Chi has more than 11 years of experience working in finance and accounting for international agencies and non-governmental organisations. Chi has a Bachelor of Finance from the Institute of Finance and Accounting, and a Masters in Finance and Banking from the Hanoi National Economic University. Chi has spent over six years working for an international NGO where she gained extensive experience in financial management of large organisations in compliance with international financial rules and regulation training.

Chi’s professional roles have included the financial management of grants, projects and country programs, developing financial policy and procedure, managing program budgets, coordinating international audits, donor reporting, advising program directors on grant management, and overseeing financial teams. Chi is ICEM's Finance Manager, responsible for financial planning and overseeing the financial management of ICEM.

Return to top

Nguyen Quynh Huong - Accountant

Nguyen Quynh Huong is an accountant with over eight years experience and extensive training in general accounting and financial management. She has extensive experience working for international organisations and NGOs as an account and financial officer. Her work for international Non-Government Organisations involved managing project budgets and expenditure, accounting and reporting. She had a key role building the capacity of community organisation partners through organising training workshops. She then worked for an international humanitarian organisation providing accounting support to the head office and internal and external auditing.

Huong holds a Bachelor Degree in Accounting and a Certificate in Accountant Training from Hanoi National Economics University. She has extensive knowledge of international and Vietnamese accounting practices as well as financial management of internationally funded projects. Since joining ICEM, Huong has been closely involved in the financial management and budgeting of ICEM projects and ICEM's regional head office.

Return to top

Nguyen Thu Trang - Finance Officer

Nguyen Thu Trang has four years of international experience in finance auditing. Trang holds a Bachelor of Accounting from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where she spent three years working as a senior auditor for large international corporations across a range of sectors. She has extensive experience working in international financial reporting, audit engagement planning, preparing audit programs, and audit reporting on client’s financial statements. She also has vast knowledge of international accounting standards. Trang is part of the ICEM finance team responsible for the management of ICEM projects and programs.

Return to top

Luong Thi Quynh Mai - Administration Manager

Luong Thi Quynh Mai has more than ten years experience as administrator and coordinator, accountant, and operations and finance manager on projects funded by the ADB and USAID. Mai holds a Masters of Business Administration from North Central University, a Bachelor of Arts in English from Hanoi National University, and a Bachelor of Art in accounting from the National Economics University. 

Quynh Mai has extensive administrative and financial project experience and her roles have included operational support for project implementation and project coordination. At ICEM, Quynh Mai is closely involved in the implementation and coordination of project activities and is responsible for providing administrative support for ICEM's regional head office.

Return to top

Ha Thi Hoang Lan - Administrative Officer

Ha Thi Hoang Lan is an experienced and professional administrator. She has over five years experience working as an administrator and procurement specialist for international and Vietnamese consultancies, implementing projects funded by the World Bank, ADB and other international donors. Lan has a degree in International Relations and Secretary of Foreign Office from the Academy of Diplomacy, Hanoi.

Lan worked for a large international consultancy implementing a World Bank funded project on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation in Vietnam as a project administrator and translator. The project involved working with communities to address social and environmental needs for managing water supply and sanitation services. Prior to this she worked as a project administrator and procurement officer for a large Vietnamese infrastructure company working on internationally funded projects where she prepared bidding and proposal documents, provided administrative support and recruitment services for numerous projects. Lan’s role includes providing administrative and project support to international and national teams and office support at ICEM’s regional head office.

Return to top