Nature, biodiversity and health

Ingrid has more than 30 years’ experience in sustainability and governance. Her work focuses on mainstreaming nature, its benefits, and nature-based solutions into urban planning and decision-making in cities and city regions thereby helping them become healthier, and more resilient and liveable places. She also serves as technical lead on ICLEI’s biodiversity advocacy work. Ingrid’s expertise includes stakeholder engagement, facilitation, law reform, policy, and strategy development.

Ursula Wellmann has a background in Politics and Economics with a degree in Social Science, a Skills Development Facilitation certificate and a passion for the green economy. Supporting sustainable growth in both the renewable energy sector and Greentech manufacturing was a focus of her recent years’ work. Together with this, her passion for nature and biodiversity resulted in numerous projects implemented supporting decent employment opportunities within the Western Cape’s growing green economy.

Funmi holds a PhD in Law (Human Rights Protection) and has more than a decade of cross-sectoral experience in the private, public and academic spaces. She is skilled in creating and coordinating projects with a human rights-based framework, geared towards policy change, implementation and prioritisation of vulnerable groups. Funmi works at ICLEI Africa as a people-centered rights-based expert on various projects.

Ernita Flynn is a senior professional officer (social-ecological systems) at ICLEI Africa and ICLEI’s Cities Biodiversity Center: Urban Biodiversity Work stream. Her work focus is on mainstreaming nature-based benefits in urban environments through planning and implementation. Following initial training in ecology and conservation, Ernita developed an interest in how people and institutions value and interact with the natural environment. She brings 22 years’ experience to the work place.

Julie holds a PhD in Sustainability Science from the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University and an MESc from Yale University’s School of the Environment, as well as a dual BA. She has over a decade of experience in the environmental science and urban biodiversity, with application to management and governance for sustainability. She has a passion for exploring how actions at the local city-scale can help people to live healthier, happier lives connected to landscapes of ecological integrity. In her other work, she has served as a project manager, editor, and author of the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook, and has been a Fulbright Scholar in Cape Town, where she investigated urban biodiversity management policy, implementation, and best practices.

Ivana has a Double Bachelor Degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP). She has four years of experience in sustainable development policy, project management and environmental advocacy at the local level. She actively participates in research and innovation for the analysis of public policies that contributes to social change. She has a passion for work related to nature-based solutions, climate change, multilevel governance, activism and gender mainstreaming.

Laura is interested in nature conservation, food production, social responsibility, International politics and maps. She has a Master of Science in Geography with 10 years of experience in project management and coordination, fundraising and sales, brand building, communications and marketing.

Bongiwe has a strong passion for sustainability and social justice. She holds BSc Honours degrees in Environmental Management and Biodiversity and Conservation Biology. Bongiwe has over 4 years’ experience working on Spatial Biodiversity Planning, Project Coordination and Ecosystem Services research. Her work on mapping and making the case for green and blue infrastructure helped cultivate her interest in integrated environmental management and developing products and tools useful for mainstreaming biodiversity into development, land use planning and informing the policy landscape.

Amina holds a BSc Honours degree in Environmental Architecture and Urbanism from the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University in Cairo, with a dual degree from the University of East London. She is also about to finalise her MEng degree on the topic of Resource Efficient Cities, with a specific focus on the Biophilic Urbanism approach. With over four years of experience in the field of sustainable urban planning and green building practices, she is a certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate from the US Green Building Council, and has also worked as a visual communication designer. Amina is passionate about sustainable urban development, biodiversity and nature-based solutions.

Jade has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Stellenbosch. She has 1 year and 8 months of experience working in the Urban Catalytic Investment department at the City of Cape Town Municipality as an Urban Planning and Project Packaging Assistant. Jade is currently working as an intern in the Biodiversity and Nature-Based Solutions team. She is an avid reader and is passionate about sustainable development.

Nikara has over 5 years’ experience working in the conservation sector in South Africa, having previously worked for local NGOs. She holds two masters degrees, MSc Environmental Science (University of KwaZulu-Natal), and MPhil Conservation Leadership (University of Cambridge). At ICLEI Africa, she applies her experience and skills across various projects within the biodiversity team, whilst expanding her understanding of both local and global environmental challenges.