S1E1: Disasters, Design, and Dignity w/ João Figueiredo

Welcome to Terra.talk, the official podcast of international climate school Terra.do. To kick off the inaugural season of the pod, hosts Shannon Ferber and Jae Canetti sit down with Terra alum João Figueiredo.

João is the Regional Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean at the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), the world’s largest network of civil society actors working to build resilience and promote locally led solutions in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation.

With over a decade of experience, João has led and coordinated major initiatives in emergency response, sustainable urban transformation, and climate adaptation across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. His work focuses on empowering local communities, building capacity, and influencing policies that protect vulnerable populations from the growing impacts of climate change.

João holds a solid academic background in Architecture and Urbanism, with a Master’s in International Cooperation in Urban Development (TU-Darmstadt and UIC), complemented by advanced studies in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation. He brings a distinctive combination of technical expertise and humanitarian vision, bridging urban development, climate resilience, and risk reduction.

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• Fill out our feedback form to help us improve the podcast in future seasons.
• João's UNDRR data: https://www.undrr.org/our-work/our-impact

Season 1 of Terra.talk drops every Tuesday from May 27 to July 8, 2025. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Terra.do or its partners.

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