Education:

• PhD, Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London
• MSc, Environmental Engineering, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
• B.Eng (Hons), Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Languages: English, Portuguese

Technical areas of expertise: Pro-poor and Inclusive Growth, Integrated Planning, Financing and Management of Sustainable Municipal Services, Resilient Development

Dr. Jonathan Parkinson is an environmental engineer and urban development specialist with over 25 years of consulting experience in planning and programming of resilient infrastructure and sustainable services in low and middle-income countries. As Associate Director of DT Global UK’s Cities and Resilient Development team, he is responsible for overall direction and business development in thematic areas related to integrated planning and policies for resilient, sustainable, and low-carbon urban development.

He has worked in over 15 countries in Asia and Africa supporting urban authorities, national governmental and humanitarian agencies with policy development, strategic planning and programme design, feasibility studies and project preparation. Before joining IMC, now DT Global, Jonathan worked for Oxfam as Senior Programme Development Advisor where he was responsible for a three-year program funded by USAID’s OFDA to improve the resilience and preparedness of market systems to shocks during emergencies and times of crisis. Jonathan was awarded a Doctorate from Imperial College, London in 2000 and has considerable experience on research and learning. He is co-author of two books focusing on sustainable sanitation and wastewater management and has published extensively in various international journals.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

When I finished my MSc, a lecturer advised me to be more specific about what I wanted to do. He recommended that I project a clearer vision about what I wanted to specialize in, even if I then changed course later. He said that this would give myself a stronger identify and enable those like himself who might be in a position to help, a better idea how they might assist me get to where I wanted to me. That conversation triggered the course of my career.

What’s your favorite place of all the places you’ve travelled?

In my first job working as a consultant for a firm specializing in urban development, I had the opportunity to work on an ADB project preparation in Vientiane. I fell in love with Laos and the people and I wanted to stay. If it hadn’t been for the fact that I had shortly before met the woman who I married, I may have not returned to the UK.