Team
We provide knowledge, policy advice, and technical assistance to local governments
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Being resilient is not an option anymore; It is a responsibility to take action towards urgent global challenges such as climate change and sustainable economies.
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Esteban has a background in economics and over two decades building local capacities, designing and managing shelter, housing and settlement programs in pre and post-crisis situations, and building urban resilience. He has been working for UN-Habitat since 2002, based in Nairobi, Geneva, Panama and Barcelona.
Head of the City Resilience Global Programme, UN-Habitat
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Resilience is all about overcoming the unexpected—the goal is not only to survive but to thrive.
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Svetlana has a broad 20 years of experience with international organizations and private entities in Europe and the Middle East. With a background in international economy, she assured operational and financial part of UNDP-IOM project in Belarus. As the administrative assistant, Svetlana coordinates the office of the City Resilience Global Programme of UN-Habitat in Barcelona.
Administrative Assistant
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Building resilient cities requires the active collaboration of policy, science and communities.
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Fanny is a purpose-driven changemaker with experience in politics and government relations, having served as a Borough Councillor in Montreal, overseeing local commerce and culture, and advising Québec’s Chief Scientist to promote science and innovation. Now at UN-Habitat, she fosters trustful, high-impact collaborations that drive urban resilience, inclusion, and sustainable development on a global scale.
Partnerships and Advocacy Consultant
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Through a resilience lens, we can see how all urban systems are interconnected and impact each other and prioritise the actions that drive sustainable development.
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Anna is an architect-planner with extensive experience working in different contexts and spatial scales to plan for inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities. Over the past 5 years, she has contributed to the UN-Habitat CRGP by implementing and calibrating the City Resilience Profiling Tool, conducting research on various dimensions of urban resilience, and supporting socio-economic response in cities for COVID.
Urban Resilience Consultant
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Building resilience requires a holistic approach—strengthening connections between people, places, and systems. Cities and territories play a key role in addressing inequality and fostering sustainable, inclusive, and healthy communities.
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Blanca brings together a background in international relations and journalism with a strong focus on sustainability, innovation, and digital transformation. She has worked with international organizations and the private sector on projects across Europe, the Middle East, and North and Latin America, contributing to initiatives that promote more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient cities and communities. At UN-Habitat’s City Resilience Global Programme, she fosters institutional partnerships, supports strategic outreach, and leads communications to strengthen the programme’s global impact and visibility.
Strategic Communications and Partnerships Consultant
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By applying a resilience perspective to our urban and territorial systems, we can work together to address the challenges that demand our action.
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Lucia is a geographer with a specialization in urban studies. She has experience in urban and territorial planning, applying a critical lens and fostering participatory approaches. She contributed to the City Resilience Profiling Tool, supporting territorial-scale methodology design and research in Terres de l’Ebre, and developed training and e-learning materials on various resilience topics, including Urban Economic Resilience.
Urban Resilience Consultant
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Resilience is the art of recovering, learning, and thriving forward. But it must be collective, because only together can we shape more just and sustainable cities.
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Matías is an urban planner and architect with over 10 years of international experience in public space, resilience, housing, and civic design. He has led projects with multilateral organizations and local governments, bridging grassroots action with policy. His work blends creativity and strategy to foster inclusive and sustainable urban transformation, particularly in vulnerable contexts.
Urban Resilience and Partnerships Consultant