Melissa Barandiaran

Melissa Barandiaran

Melissa Barandiaran, of Peruvian nationality, is a Senior Environmental Specialist for the Environmental and Social Risk Unit (RMG/ESR) of the Inter-American Development Bank. Melissa currently leads the disaster and climate change risk topic at ESR, where she monitors and supervises portfolio risks related to disasters and climate change. Melissa worked in operations for the Environmental and Social Safeguards Unit for 9 years from where she led the disaster and climate change risk topic. She is co-author of the Disaster and Climate Change Risk Assessment Methodology for IDB Projects, and is part of the Resilience Community of Practice–an interdisciplinary IDB group that works on disasters and climate change risk. Melissa has worked on complex projects based in Haiti, Mexico, Guyana, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and other Latin American countries for the Transport, Energy, Water and Sanitation and Urban and Housing sectors. Melissa has a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in Environment and Energy from Columbia University, NY, and has worked for the IDB for more than 11 years. Before working at the IDB, Melissa worked for Peru’s Ministry of Production on public policies related to petrochemicals, renewable energy and biofuels.