Three Cairns Climate Program for the Global South

Goal: Develop and enhance community-centered policies and programs that build climate resilience and foster economic development and empowerment in the Global South

Bhutan has a constitutional mandate to become carbon neutral and a requirement that 60% of its land must remain under forest cover. Ultimately, it aims to become carbon negative. 

Sherab Dorji ’26 MEM is working to balance conservation goals in Bhutan with economic growth through effective policymaking. She is specifically focused on the impact of climate change, which has disproportionally affected lower-income and rural areas of the country.

Goal:  Incorporate climate risk assessments in coastal urban areas in East Asia and the Pacific  

Cities around the world are grappling with a slate of complex social, economic, and environmental challenges. Yet, many of them are simply unequipped to meet them due to outdated, overburdened infrastructure and green skills gaps among their workforces. Mars Arriesgado ‘26 MEM has spent the past several years supporting climate mitigation efforts in the Philippines, a country that is highly vulnerable to floods, cyclones, storm surges, droughts, and other natural disasters.

Goal: To advance climate change mitigation by contributing to our understanding of the factors that influence ecosystem services in tropical forests

Brazil’s conservation efforts are greatly affected by agribusiness’ impact on its tropical forests. It is at this intersection of agricultural practices and forest conservation that Isabela Filgueira Campos ’26 MESc hopes to make a positive impact.

Goal: Open new  pathways to an equitable clean energy transition

As a program specialist at the United Nations Development Program in Zambia, Watson Mwabila ‘26 MEM supported the Bank of Zambia's policy development on the issuance of green bonds. The bonds are a vital part of the country’s climate mitigation, adaptation, and financing goals. They are also personal to Mwabila, who grew up in a rainfall-dependent, rural area of the country and saw first-hand how climate change-fueled droughts negatively impacted livelihoods and communities.

Goal: Model climate-related disturbance and integrate forest management strategies to develop nature-based climate solutions

Forest restoration through sustainable management practices in Nepal can advance nature-based climate solutions. Forest fires in the country, however, are altering composition and growth rates and making forests more vulnerable to disease. There were more than 5,000 wildfires in Nepal in 2024, and climate models predict the country will face more frequent drought conditions. 

Bishwabandhu Acharya ’26 MFS is researching how disturbances such as fires impact the health and regenerative capabilities of forests. 

Kuziva Huni knows that the investment industry is critical to bridging the capital gap necessary to accelerate clean energy projects in Africa, which is facing the world’s largest energy access deficit. Huni, a management consultant in Johannesburg, enrolled in the Financing and Deploying Clean Energy certificate program to build the knowledge, skills and networks that will help accelerate financing for clean energy projects and advance sustainable development goals across the continent.

As a professor, Mahmuda Sharmin is motivated to create safer, inclusive, and resilient cities by supporting green spaces that can improve quality of life and mitigate growing climate risks. She enrolled in the Urban Climate Leadership certificate program to cultivate a global network of peers and deepen her knowledge of urban studies.

Pervez Manan, a forester and climate financing expert in Pakistan, believes that sustainable and equitable forest management requires a broad set of technical and political skills — and an ability to listen to diverse stakeholders. The Tropical Forest Landscapes certificate program is helping him build that skill set and engage with like-minded practitioners from around the world. He hopes to adapt the best practices he’s learning to help increase the resilience of Pakistan’s forests. 

For José Daniel Madrigal, working in the U.S. Agency for International Development's Economic Growth Office in Honduras requires big-picture thinking at the nexus of the environment, food security, urbanization, and human rights. With its rich curriculum and international cohort, the Urban Climate Leadership certificate program, Madrigal said, is helping him develop the toolset, technical knowledge, and global network to take on this imposing challenge.

As a climate change and sustainability consultant and co-founder of the Tierra Alta Fund,  Andrea Rodríguez Zepeda understands the importance of ensuring access to financing and technical resources to build resilient ecosystems and communities. She enrolled in the Tropical Forest Landscapes certificate program to enhance her skills in facilitating equitable and sustainable conservation projects, and has already used what she’s learning in TFL to help secure seed funding alongside the Tierra Alta team for soil sampling and community workshops through the Mountain Sentinels Fellowship Program.

Janice Tran, a commercial specialist with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, works with U.S. firms in Vietnam to help advance the mission’s environmental and climate change efforts. The Financing and Deploying Clean Energy certificate program is giving her the global perspective and financial skill set to navigate the complex landscape of Vietnam’s energy sector and accelerate the country’s clean energy transition.

As an educator, Chan Aye understands the need for youth engagement at all levels to increase Burma’s resilience to the urgent, life-threatening challenges of climate change. He enrolled in the Urban Climate Leadership certificate program to build new technical knowledge, refine his teaching skills, and tap into a global network to help inspire the next generation of Burmese climate and environmental leaders.

Monkgogi Buzwani, a private equity and sustainable financing expert from Botswana, said there are numerous challenges, including a significant electricity gap, limited financing, and fossil fuel dependence, facing the energy sector in sub-Saharan Africa. He enrolled in the Financing and Deploying Clean Energy certificate program to build knowledge and connections he can use to help advance the region’s clean energy transition.