Tom Burkitt

Consultant - Risk & Resilience

Tom specializes in urban infrastructure resilience, climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. He specialises in urban resilience, climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. He helps his clients and the communities they serve understand, address, and adapt to risks arising from acute and chronic stressors, including natural hazards and climate change.

He is a scientist, business analyst, and consultant with over 26 years’ professional experience and a technical background in risk assessment and mitigation, asset management, environmental management, and the implementation of technology solutions for infrastructure asset management and environmental compliance.

Tom has worked on projects in over 17 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and SE Asia. His work has involved implementation of asset management information systems, geospatial solutions for asset monitoring, and multi-hazard risk and vulnerability assessments. He has worked across transportation and water sectors and serves as Team Leader on World Bank projects, including the Disaster Risk Assessment of Uttarakhand, India, where his team measured multi-hazard risk across a wide range of infrastructure portfolios. He has recently concluded a project for the World Bank in Bhutan to strengthen disaster risk information management.

He is a former Subject Matter Expert of Climate Adaptation, 100 Resilient Cities, Member and Past NZ Chapter President of the Environmental Institute of Australia and NZ, Member of Integrated Disaster Risk Management Society, Member of Institute of Environmental Sciences, and Member of the Coastal Society of New Zealand.

Tom is also a civil defence volunteer in NZ and trained in crisis and recovery management. He was involved in the aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquakes in developing procedures for improved knowledge transfer during emergencies. This important aspect of resilience is often overlooked.

Tom is a member of the following Themes, Networks or Projects

delta 18 - climate adaptation.

Adaptation in Deltas

Deltas are particularly vulnerable to water-related climate risks. Delta networks and communities have identified several key topics to work on including subsidence, food security, and sea level rise. 
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