STRATEGIC PANEL – BIODIVERSITY & AFFORESTATION

An Australian professional environmental manager with over 30 years of international experience in the Middle East, North Africa, West & Central Asia, Canada and Australia. Ronald has a PhD in coastal zone management, focused on management of marine and coastal (blue carbon) ecosystems in Arabia.

Ronald works at Saudi Aramco as a senior marine environmental advisor developing and implementing environmental stewardship and biodiversity protection across vast coastal and marine concession areas, both in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Company’s global operations. Ronald is active in promoting the Company’s protection and restoration of nature-based solutions (blue carbon ecosystems) to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change and to foster environmental stewardship.

Ronald is skilled at developing local capacity, actively engaging stakeholders and applying global best practice to resolve regional and local environmental issues. Ronald is experienced in the planning, implementation and management of high impact environmental programs for Governments, NGO’s and Corporations, with a track record of delivering sustainable outcomes by eliminating perceived conflicts between development goals and environmental conservation.

Ronald has published 29 books and book chapters, as well as 28 scientific articles related to environmental management. This includes the development and publication of a series of Atlas manuscripts (English and Arabic) specific to the Arabian Gulf (Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia).