Mikhail Fernandes

Mikhail Fernandes serves as a Communications and Eco-DRR Knowledge Network Consultant at the United Nations Environment Programme, where he plays a crucial role in promoting Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR). His diverse career began in Southern India leading community-based forest conservation projects and researching indigenous environmental practices, before expanding to the United States where he supported native prairie restoration and farm-to-fork initiatives in rural Indiana. His expertise spans across continents, from implementing permaculture practices in Ubud, Indonesia, to empowering marginalized youth in gang-affected communities in South Africa. At UNEP, he has been instrumental in developing and disseminating knowledge products on Eco-DRR and NbS, contributing to major policy discussions at Conference of Parties meetings and helping to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical implementation. As a lead faculty member for the SDG Academy's course on Nature-based Solutions for Disaster and Climate Resilience, he advocates for cross-sectoral engagement and innovative financing mechanisms to scale up NbS initiatives globally, while emphasizing the importance of working with nature rather than against it to address multiple social, economic, and environmental challenges simultaneously.