IN COLLABORATION WITH Leveraging Science to Promote Environmentally Sustainable Infrastructure Thursday, May 28 3:00 – 4:30 Room # J 1-050 th 701 18 St., NW, Washington, DC RSVP by email : [email protected] Watch the session live here Follow via #accountabilitydialogue Investments in large infrastructure and extractive projects are expected to increase dramatically in fragile ecosystems in the coming decades. There is clear evidence that when megainfrastructure projects are not appropriately designed, they can generate harmful unintended environmental and social impacts. At the same time, there are innovative and participatory approaches that can minimize project risks and uncertainty, while integrating conservation needs with development priorities to preserve the environment and reduce poverty. This session will bring together experts and practitioners to share examples of where science, engineering, risk mitigation, and adaptive management have been successfully used to promote accountability and environmentally sustainable infrastructure worldwide. They will also share lessons learned and discuss whether these approaches can be replicated and expanded to other countries and regions. PRESENTER: Dr. Francisco Dallmeier, Director of the Center for Conservation and Sustainability (CCS) of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) DISCUSSANTS: Robert Montgomery, Lead Environmental Specialist , Environment and Natural Resources Global Practice, World Bank Group Janet Ranganathan, Vice President, Science & Research World Resources Institute (WRI) CHAIR: Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Chairman, Inspection Panel *Coffee, tea, and cookies will be served PANELIST BIOS Dr. Francisco Dallmeier is Director of the Center for Conservation and Sustainability (CCS) of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). CCS provides research and conservation approaches for industry to integrate local development needs of mega-infrastructure projects with conservation priorities to manage and protect biodiversity and ecosystem services. It also provides world-class professional and academic programs for industry and conservation professionals as well as expertise in sustainable infrastructure development. CCS academic programs have trained several hundred professionals from over thirty countries with emphasis in Latin America, the Caribbean and tropical Africa. Dr. Dallmeier led the SCBI partnership with the World Bank to implement the Global Tiger Initiative – Conservation and Development Network and has been an advisor for international organizations such as UNESCO, international financial organizations, governments and the private energy sector. He received his Ph.D. and M.S in Wildlife Management from Colorado State University and his undergraduate degree in Biology from the Central University of Venezuela. Janet Ranganathan is the Vice President for Science and Research at the World Resources Institute, an action-oriented global research organization that works in more than 50 countries, with offices in the United States, China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Europe. She works closely with the Managing Director to strengthen the impact of research across WRI’s six programs: Food, Forest, Water, Climate, Energy, and Cities. Janet leads WRI’s Information into Action strategy, which combines open data platforms, information and communication technologies, transparency, and human networks to drive more sustainable management of the planet’s resources. Prior to joining WRI Janet worked on business and environmental issues in the U.K. both as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire and in a regulatory capacity with the Department of Environment and Hertfordshire Waste Regulatory Authority. Janet received a BSc. (Hons) from Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London in 1983, and a MSc. with distinction in Environmental Technology from Imperial College in 1990. Dr. Robert H. Montgomery has over 25 years’ experience in sustainable (environmental, social, health and safety, and labor aspects) risk management and opportunity development for public and private sector entities and financial institutions. He has worked with a broad range of private sector projects and financial transactions in over 35 countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Middle East. He specializes in large-scale complex and controversial international projects and in a broad range of sectors including infrastructure (e.g., energy, transportation, water and sanitation, telecommunications), oil and gas, construction, and financial institutions. Presently he is Lead Environmental Specialist at the World Bank. He has a PhD. in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University, and M.S. in Natural Resources Development and B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University. Dr. Montgomery has published various articles and reports in English and Spanish. Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata was appointed to the Inspection Panel of the World Bank on December 16, 2013 and became its Chairman on November 1st, 2014. He is a US and Peruvian national bringing to the Panel more than twenty years of international development experience. His career includes key roles across the private and public sectors and multiple areas of development work, bringing a balance of interest, authority, experience, and flexibility. He has been involved in highly visible and complex international projects, including as the Chair of an Independent Panel for the Export-Import Bank of the US for the Camisea Project in Peru, and as a member of a United Nations Review Panel of the Barro Blanco Dam in Panama. In 2009 he founded Ecosystem Services LLC, a company specialized in market-based approaches to conservation and renewable energy. Previously, he was the Head of the Biodiversity Unit at the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Principal Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, Director and Vice-President of WWF’s Latin American and Caribbean Program in Washington, and founder and CEO of Wetlands for the Americas.