Global environmental non-profit Conservation International has appointed Dr Siti Maryam Yaakub to run a new institute focused on the restoration and protection of aquatic ecosystems.
She was previously head of projects for nature-based and climate solutions at water management firm DHI Group, where she led the implementation of digital products in nature-based projects.
Siti comes on board as director, International Blue Carbon Institute (IBCI), based in Singapore.
IBCI is a knowledge hub for building capacity, expertise and standards for blue carbon projects. The unit will work with governments across Southeast Asia and the Pacific to integrate blue carbon into climate change mitigation policies. It launches with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board, web services giant Amazon and other funders.
In her role, Siti will focus on identifying research gaps in blue carbon science in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa. She will also oversee the strategic direction of programmes and partnerships to facilitate science, research and policy efforts while building out IBCI’s resource and knowledge hub.“Given how quickly things are evolving, there is an urgent need to consolidate existing knowledge, identify gaps in research and encourage more practitioners to embrace blue carbon and other nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation,” Siti said in a press statement.
“The time is now to continue understanding and investing in blue carbon and its ability to help mitigate climate change,” she said.
A marine biologist by training, Siti has researched the effects of reduced light on tropical seagrasses and its implications for ecosystem resilience during her time as a PhD student at the National University of Singapore.
She was previously a senior biodiversity offficer with Singapore’s National Parks Board and a researcher for James Cook University.
