Climate Charter

Susan Wilding, Chief Operating Officer

International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA): ICVA is a global network of non-governmental organizations whose mission is to make humanitarian action more principled and effective by working collectively and independently to influence policy and practice.

Ninni Ikkala Nyman, Climate Lead

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): The IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network. Our secretariat supports local Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian action and community resilience building in more than 191 countries, bringing together more than 16 million volunteers for the good of humanity.

Catherine-Lune Grayson, Head of Policy

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): Established in 1863, the ICRC is an independent and neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence across the world. It takes action in response to emergencies and promotes respect for international humanitarian law and its implementation.

Mihir Bhatt, Director

All India Disaster Mirtigation Institute (AIDMI): AIDMI is a registered non-governmental organisation based in Gujarat, India. It is a community-based action planning, research and advocacy organisation, working towards bridging the gap between policy, practice and research related to disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation as laid out in National Disaster Management Plan of Government of India of 2019.

Thuy-Binh Nguyen, Interim Director of the CARE Climate Justice Center and Programme Quality Lead

CARE International: CARE International is a 75-year-old global confederation working to fight poverty and social injustice in the world, with a specific focus on the empowerment of women and girls. We work side-by-side with communities to understand the root causes of poverty and find innovative, locally-led solutions. The CARE Climate Justice Center leads and coordinates the integration of climate justice and resilience across CARE’s development and humanitarian work.

Elizabeth Bellardo, Deputy Director, Office of Global Policy, Partnerships, Programs and Communications Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, USAID

USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) provides life-saving humanitarian assistance—including food, water, shelter, emergency healthcare, sanitation and hygiene, and critical nutrition services— to the world’s most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach people. BHA is the lead federal coordinator for international disaster assistance, harnessing the expertise and unique capacities of other U.S. government entities to effectively respond to natural disasters and complex crises around the world. BHA takes a holistic look at humanitarian aid, providing assistance before, during and after a crisis—from readiness and response, to relief and recovery. This includes non-emergency programming that is foundational to linking humanitarian assistance to long-term development and the journey to self-reliance.

Nishanie Jayamaha, Co-Coordinator

Nishanie has over 20 years of experience working in the United Nations, International Organisations, Government institutions, NGO, and private sectors in a variety of roles with expertise ranging from disaster management and risk reduction, humanitarian and early recovery response and coordination, protection, access negotiations, gender, civic space, learning and climate change. She started her humanitarian career in Sri Lanka following the Indian Ocean Tsunami and has worked at country, regional and HQ levels on policy and practice. She has worked with UN OCHA, the World Humanitarian Summit and the Grand Bargain secretariats, Professionals in Humanitarian Action and Protection (PHAP), and in her most recent role, Nishanie was the Climate and Learning lead for the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA). Nishanie has a Master’s in International Relations from the University of Colombo and a Bachelor’s Degree in English, Sociology, and Psychology from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She has also undertaken studies in child psychology and diplomacy.

Natasha Westheimer, Co-Coordinator

Natasha has over a decade of experience at the nexus of water and climate governance, sustainable development, and peace and security. Natasha has dedicated her career to unravelling and addressing the complex interactions between environmental challenges and social issues, supporting communities in fragile regions and conflict zones to secure water rights and build climate resilience. Her work has spanned a variety of roles, from facilitating high-level regional water negotiations with UN institutions to supporting civil society organizations and community initiatives to advance climate adaptation and navigate risk, largely in the SWANA/MENA region. Natasha holds a Master’s in Water Science, Policy, and Management from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor’s in International Development and Conflict Mitigation from the University of Maryland.