Speakers

Speech Title : Synergies between Desertification and Climate Change in the drylands of central-western Argentina. Future Scenarios

Elena Maria Abraham is a Principal Investigator Emeritus at CONICET and Emeritus Professor of Environmental Planning at Universidad de Congreso, Argentina. She has served as Director of IADIZA, Director of the CONICET Mendoza Scientific and Technological Center, and Secretary of the Environment for the Government of Mendoza. Dr. Abraham leads interdisciplinary research on drylands, desertification, and climate change adaptation, with a strong focus on integrated and participatory land-use planning in arid regions. She has authored over 200 scientific publications and has contributed extensively to territorial planning and land-use legislation in Argentina. An international expert with the UNCCD Science–Policy Interface, she is Co-Chair of DesertNet International and Scientific Coordinator of Argentina’s National Observatory of Land Degradation and Desertification. Her work has been internationally recognized, including an award from Brazil’s Ministry of Environment, and she is a member of the Argentine Academy of Environmental Sciences.

Speech Title : A Desirable Framework for Establishing Climate Change Policy

Dai Yeun Jeong is an environmental sociologist with extensive experience in climate change education, policy, and sustainable development. He currently serves as Director of the Asia Climate Change Education Center and is an Emeritus Professor of Environmental Sociology at Jeju National University, South Korea. He holds a BA and MA in Sociology from Korea University and a PhD in Environmental Sociology from The University of Queensland, Australia. Dai Yeun Jeong has held several distinguished roles, including President of the Asia-Pacific Sociological Association, Teaching Professor at the University of Sheffield (UK), and member of the Presidential Commission on Sustainable Development of the Republic of Korea. He has represented the South Korean government as a delegate to the UNFCCC and OECD environmental meetings and has worked closely with UNESCO’s World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves. An accomplished scholar, he has authored 13 books and over 60 academic research papers and has led more than 100 environment-related research projects funded by national and international organizations.

Speech Title : From Climate Change to Territorial Resilience: Rethinking Environmental Health and Sustainability

Rachida El Morabet is a Full Professor at Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco, specializing in environmental health, climate resilience, water and air quality, and sustainable territorial development. She is the Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Environmental Geography and Natural Hazard Management and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training, under the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection. In 2021, she received the Hassan II Prize for the Environment in the Scientific and Technical Research category. She has published extensively in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals, including Scientific Reports and other high-impact Q1 journals. Her research addresses the interconnections between environmental pressures, public health, climate change, and territorial sustainability. Elsevier has also highlighted one of her open-access publications for its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Speech Title : The Role of Carbon Markets in Driving Net Zero Transitions

Hemant Nandanpawar is a distinguished leader in clean energy, climate action, carbon markets, and sustainability with over 28 years of international experience across 30+ countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. He holds advanced degrees in Sustainable Business (Cambridge University), Energy Technology (MTech), Finance (MBA), and Industrial Engineering, and is a Qualified Energy Auditor. As a Climate Action sexpert & advisory leader, supporting private & government sector organisations for decarbonisation, carbon neutrality, sustainability and development & implantation of clean energy and GHG emission reduction projects, with support of climate & carbon finance. He has rich experience of working with International & Multilateral organisations at senior leadership roles, including, Senior Director at the Global Carbon Council (GCC), Doha-Qatar, Senior Climate Finance Specialist at Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila-Philippines, Methodologies Panel Expert at UNFCCC, Germany and Associate Partner at Ernst & Young, Philippines & India. His contributions have been recognized globally with awards & appreciations, major one includes Global Gold Award–Climate Mitigation (2024), Global Green Leadership Award (2018), and Excellence in Energy Management Award (2007). He has authored numerous papers and regularly contributes to international conferences & workshops, as a subject matter expert.

Speech Title : Go Truly Local™: Closing the Missing Link in Circular, Sustainable Community and Environmental Futures

Anthea Drake-Rossouw is a South African and British social and community engagement practitioner and advocate whose work across South Africa and the United Kingdom spans more than three decades. Drawing on a social science background and extensive experience across township, social and residential housing developments in both countries, she has worked alongside communities facing diverse social, economic and environmental challenges. Through 36 years of sustained community engagement and implementation, she observed that despite differing circumstances, many communities share common challenges affecting quality of life and environmental sustainability. This insight has informed her work, which focuses on community participation, environmental stewardship and practical pathways to circularity that strengthen local resilience and create mutual benefits for both people and the environment. While recognising the value of policy, research and academic frameworks, her work has centred on translating ideas into practice through a participatory, community-led methodology grounded in trusted collaboration and long-term engagement across diverse communities. At EARTHSCIENCEFORUM2026, her keynote, Closing the Missing Link in Circular, Sustainable Community and Environmental Futures, draws on decades of experience to explore how human-centred sustainability systems can complement broader social, economic and environmental strategies by strengthening community-level action and going truly local®

Speech Title : Last-Mile Climate Finance: Delivering Sustainable Capital to Africa’s Smallholder Farmers Through Digital Innovation

Kumbirai Emmanuel Chimukupete is a Zimbabwean fintech and agritech strategist focused on advancing climate-resilient rural economies across Africa. He is the Founder of e-Mudhumeni, a climate-focused agrifintech platform that has delivered digital financial and data-driven services to over 20,000 smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. Kumbirai serves on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Financial Inclusion Thematic Committee on Rural Development and Finance, where he contributes to national strategies on inclusive finance and youth banking. With nearly a decade of experience in digital financial systems through Mugonat Systems, he has led over 300 financial technology implementations across Southern Africa, spanning digital wallets, core banking, loan management systems, and regulatory-integrated platforms. His work integrates satellite-based risk analytics, climate-smart credit models, and digital financial infrastructure to bridge the climate finance gap affecting smallholder farmers. Kumbirai is a strong advocate for last-mile capital delivery, sustainable rural industrialisation, and technology-enabled financial inclusion in frontier markets. He speaks internationally on agrifintech innovation, climate finance systems, and digital transformation for sustainable development.

Speech Title : How does plastic contribute to climate change

Maria Westerbos is the Founder and Chief Changemaker of the Plastic Soup Foundation, an Amsterdam-based environmental non-profit organisation dedicated to addressing plastic pollution at its source. An expert in mass communication, Maria combines strategic insight, creativity, and a strong understanding of diverse audiences to inspire social and environmental change. In 2011, she founded the Plastic Soup Foundation, which has since developed into an internationally recognised organisation working to tackle plastic pollution in the environment, oceans, and human health. One of its pioneering initiatives, Beat the Microbead, contributed to efforts that led to restrictions on the use of microplastics in cosmetics in Europe. Maria is also the founder and organiser of the Plastic Health Summit, an international conference bringing together leading scientists, researchers, policymakers, and experts to examine the impacts of plastic on human health and explore solutions for reducing its environmental and health consequences. Known for her inspiring communication style and passion for positive change, Maria Westerbos advocates for practical and lasting solutions to complex environmental challenges. Her work and that of the Plastic Soup Foundation have received extensive international media attention and contributed significantly to global discussions surrounding plastic pollution and microplastics.

Speech Title : Environmental education for whom?

Vice-President of the Association of History Teachers (APH), holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Education and a PhD in Educational Sciences, with postdoctoral research at the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the NOVA School of Science and Technology | FCT NOVA, and is a researcher at the same institution within the MARE Research Centre. Visiting assistant lecturer at the University of Coimbra. Research and teacher training in the field of human rights and Holocaust education, in partnership with international institutions. Author of school textbooks, and scientific articles.