Our Team.
We are a diverse team of meteorology, communication and urban climate resilience experts. We have all either grown up or spent a large part of our working lives in some of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world. Please find details of our board here.
Our team has geographic expertise of climate and urban risk in the Asia- Pacific (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji and the Pacific Islands), Africa (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, Togo, Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco), Latin America and the Caribbean.
Mark Harvey is the Founder and CEO of Resurgence, a global social enterprise that supports urban climate risk reduction and resilience. Resurgence donors and partners include the World Bank, UNDRR, the Met Office, FCDO, the Red Cross Climate Centre and Climate KIC. He has over 30 years experience of international climate, environment and humanitarian partnerships.
Mark is currently leading DARAJA, an award winning weather, climate and early warning services initiative, which has won awards from the Global Resilience Partnership and British Expertise International.
Mark is a member of the Urban Expert Group advising the UNDRR ‘Making Cities Resilient’ 2030 Campaign, and a contributor to the World Disasters Report of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
He is a co-founder of the Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (CDAC) Network. Mark has degrees from Oxford and Harvard Universities, where he obtained a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) and won a William Starr Innovations Fellowship.
MARK HARVEY
Founder & CEO
Sunayana Sen’s career started as one of the first 100 employees of Facebook India. There she specialised in advertising operations and data analysis, among other areas. Sunayana made a significant career pivot after 5yrs of working in the corporate marketing sector to take on one of the greatest challenges of our time – climate change. Following a Master’s degree in the subject from King’s College London, Sunayana has been leading work that improves the climate resilience of vulnerable populations in the Global South.
Sunayana currently spearheads the award-winning DARAJA programme in which she develops early warning systems for disasters which has reduced deaths and economic loss from disasters like floods. She is immensely passionate about alternative learning approaches to climate change impacts which has led to her designing a board game that helps communities learn about climate adaptation and the decision dynamics involved.
She works closely with National Ministries, city authorities, international and local NGOs, humanitarian organisations, academic institutions and marginalised communities across Africa, Asia and other geographies that are in the grip of climate disasters. Her previous background in communications, marketing, and data analysis provides her with a unique skill set for disaster risk communication. She specialises in community engagement, complex systems design, and action-oriented research, and is passionate about using technology in disaster management.
SUNAYANA SEN
Director of Programmes and Operations
Having qualified as an accountant over 25 years ago, with a BA (Hons) and MBA, Rob Hezel, progressed to Finance Director roles within the private, public and third sectors. He then took on more wide ranging, general leadership roles. Having founded and sold his own business in the last few years he is ideally placed to support the growth of Resurgence.
BA (Hons) Accountancy University of Central Lancashire.
MBA Open University.
ROB HEZEL
Finance Director
Danila Gjini brings over 13 years of experience in funding, capital management, and strategy, including serving as a global lead for climate mitigation finance initiatives at J.P. Morgan Investment Banking. Her work focused on embedding decarbonisation objectives into financing and capital allocation decisions.
At Resurgence, Danila focuses on climate resilience and adaptation finance, shaping sustainable funding strategies that enable inclusive, community-centred solutions. She is also a champion for the responsible and ethical use of generative AI and digital technologies to improve climate risk communication and ensure critical information reaches communities most exposed to climate shocks.
DANILA GJINI
Lead, Climate Finance Innovation
Robert Powell is a seasoned Media and Humanitarian Communications Consultant with over 40 years of experience spanning journalism, disaster communication, and climate resilience. Following an earlier career as an international correspondent for Reuters and IRIN, he has dedicated his expertise to bridging the gap between weather forecasters and the vulnerable communities who depend on accurate, actionable information.
Robert has led major initiatives across Africa, the Caribbean, and South Asia, co-designing and delivering demand-led early warning systems (EWS) and climate information services for smallholders, farmers, pastoralists, fishermen, and urban communities. Working in close partnership with organisations including the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UK Met Office, BBC Media Action, and Resurgence, he has equipped national meteorological agencies with the tools and strategies needed to communicate forecasts effectively to those who need them most.
Notable projects include managing the BReTCAT initiative in Jamaica, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and CREWS, which resulted in locally tailored forecasts and a national weather app. He has also supported the operational handover of Somalia’s climate-sensitive social protection system via the World Food Programme (WFP), and designed response messaging during high-impact events including Cyclone Phailin and the Ebola crisis.
Robert’s technical expertise encompasses two-way communication strategies, humanitarian broadcasting, climate risk messaging, and media training for government, NGO, and civil society actors. Fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, he brings both strategic vision and deep field experience to every engagement.
ROBERT POWELL
Advisor, Climate and Weather Communications
Dilupa Nanayakkara is a strategic communications and marketing leader with over 20 years of experience spanning commercial media, climate resilience, and international development. She has built brand strategies, led multimedia campaigns, and delivered high-value partnerships across media organisations, global consumer brands, and climate-focused international programmes.
Most recently, Dilupa serves as Communications and Marketing Lead at Resurgence, where she supports global early warning and resilience programmes, including the award-winning DARAJA service. She leads brand visibility, strategic storytelling, and high-level donor communications, amplifying impact through multimedia campaigns and managing digital channels. She has extensive experience in video production and multimedia content creation, having produced over 20 short films across Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, and Jamaica.
Dilupa brings proven expertise in securing strategic partnerships and driving revenue growth, having delivered over £250k in advertising partnerships and developed enterprise revenue streams across sectors. Her cross-platform communications expertise—developed through her early career with News UK, Bauer Media, and global brands including P&G, Unilever, and Coca-Cola—enables her to translate complex climate science into compelling narratives that drive engagement and action.
She contributes to global climate storytelling as an international conference event coordinator at UN Climate Weeks including COP26-COP29, co-authoring climate publications and organising expert workshops. She manages communications with organisations including Race to Resilience and the UK Met Office’s WISER programme, while maintaining an ongoing volunteer commitment to Virgin StartUp since 2016. She holds expertise in brand building, digital strategy, and business development, combining creative thinking with a results-driven approach to inspire meaningful climate action.
DILUPA NANAYAKKARA
Lead, Communications and Marketing
Pascal Mukanga is an African urbanist committed to leading change that improves quality of life, strengthens climate resilience, promotes justice and inclusion, and fosters collaborations towards sustainable futures in cities across the East African region. His extensive experience includes leading participatory planning, public spaces, locally-led climate adaptation, early warning systems, infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and ecosystem-based adaptation projects with communities living in areas most vulnerable to climate change.
Currently, Pascal oversees the implementation of the award-winning DARAJA early warning service in Kenya and Ethiopia while supporting its expansion across Africa, leading on-ground coordination with national meteorological services, city system actors, and community-based organisations to ensure weather and climate information products and services are co-produced, trusted, and used by communities and city sectors vulnerable to climate change.
As part of the Resurgence team, he brings his expertise in strengthening local forecasting systems and connecting climate science with everyday decision-making to advance climate preparedness for vulnerable cities and communities. Pascal holds an Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of Nairobi and is an Urban Climate Leadership Three Cairns Fellow with the Yale School of the Environment.
PASCAL MUKANGA
Project Manager, DARAJA
Esraa Elgadi is a project manager and architect with extensive experience in community resilience, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and climate change adaptation. She holds a degree in Architecture, an MBA, and certifications in project management and total quality management.
Currently, Esraa serves as a project manager at DARAJA East Africa, where she leads operations in Tanzania and supports DARAJA’s work in Kenya and Uganda. She is presently leading the DARAJA Sudan Emergency Forecasting and Early Warning Service, a nationwide initiative that supports conflict-affected communities across Sudan in preparing for extreme weather events. In this role, she coordinates with national institutions, humanitarian partners, and local communities to deliver clear, timely, and accessible weather forecasts and early warnings, complemented by practical preparedness guidance. Her work enables communities to reduce risks from floods, extreme heat, and other weather hazards while navigating the additional challenges posed by conflict and displacement.
Previously, she contributed to national recovery and resilience efforts in Sudan as the Federal Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s delegate to the Supreme Committee for Flood Risk Mitigation in 2020. She also served as the National Transport Sector Lead for Sudan’s Post-Disaster Needs Assessment and Recovery Framework (PDNRA), conducted in collaboration with the World Bank, UNDP, and WFP. Additionally, between 2022 and 2023, she led a community-based climate resilience research project on Tuti Island, focusing on heritage conservation, local knowledge systems, and climate risk assessment.
ESRAA ELGADI
Project Manager, DARAJA
Joseph Manzvera is a multi-award-winning Applied Agricultural Economist and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) expert with extensive experience working across rural settings and urban vulnerable communities in climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, and agricultural policy. His work emphasises community-centred, evidence-based solutions through applied research and participatory approaches that generate stakeholder-driven insights and locally relevant outcomes.
Joseph has been widely recognised for his innovation and research excellence, receiving honours including Africa’s Brightest Young Minds (2017), the RUFORUM Young African Innovator Award (2018), the Outstanding Research Award from the Research Council of Zimbabwe (2019), the RUFORUM Young Scientist Award (2022), and the DOCTAS Research Fellowship Award from PASET RSIF with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (2024).
As part of the Resurgence team, he brings his expertise in climate services, agricultural economics, and applied MEL to support evidence-based decision-making for climate preparedness in vulnerable cities and communities.
He holds a PhD in Applied Agricultural Economics and Policy from the University of Ghana, an MSc in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Zimbabwe in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, and a First-Class BSc Honours Degree in Agricultural Economics and Management from Bindura University of Science Education, alongside a strong portfolio of peer-reviewed publications and policy briefs.
JOSEPH MANZVERA
Lead, Monitoring Evaluation & Learning
Sarrah Fofanah is an operations and finance professional with experience across UK charities and international NGOs. She brings a strong background in financial management, governance, and operational systems, supporting organisations to operate efficiently, transparently, and in line with donor and regulatory requirements. She enjoys building practical systems, improving processes, and helping teams understand their finances so they can focus on delivering meaningful social impact.
SARAH FOFANAH
Admin & Finance Associate
Oscar is an architect and international development specialist with expertise in humanitarian infrastructure, urban upgrading, and emergency architecture. He holds a Master’s degree in International Cooperation, Sustainable and Emergency Architecture from the International University of Catalonia, Barcelona, which has underpinned his work advising on complex humanitarian and development challenges across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Oscar has worked as a consultant, advisor, and coordinator for leading humanitarian organisations including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). His project experience spans shelter, water and sanitation, and urban upgrading initiatives, where he has supported and advised on both emergency response and longer-term resilience planning.
Through his early career and volunteer work, Oscar has built on-the-ground experience across multiple countries in Latin America, giving him a strong regional understanding and the cultural fluency to work effectively across diverse contexts.
OSCAR CARTAGENA
Programme Associate, Latin America & Caribbean
Jennifer is an Urban Planner and International Project and Brand Management Specialist with expertise spanning sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, and resilience planning. She brings a strong interdisciplinary foundation to her work, holding a Master’s degree in International Planning and Sustainable Development with a specialism in Urban Risk and Resilience.
Prior to focusing on urban planning and development, Jennifer built a decade of professional experience in the healthcare industry across the Philippines and China, developing deep expertise in commercial operations, strategic development, and stakeholder management. This background informs her practical, cross-sector approach to complex international projects.
Jennifer has contributed to key projects at the intersection of urban planning and climate resilience, with a particular focus on sustainable development and disaster risk reduction. She combines strategic project management capabilities with on-the-ground experience across diverse regional contexts.
JENNIFER JOY CHUA
Regional Advisor, South East Asia
Ishna works at the intersection of climate policy, finance, and systems delivery, translating research and financial frameworks into scalable climate and development outcomes. She has collaborated closely with development finance institutions, investors, and global development organisations across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Ishna holds an MPhil in Economics from the University of Cambridge, where her academic training focused on development economics and econometrics.
ISHNA R.
Project Coordinator, Asia
Emma Visman works independently with a range of multi-partner, climate resilience building consortia as well as being a Senior Researcher at King’s College London. Combining operational experience and practical policy development, she supports risk communication and monitoring, evaluation and learning to strengthen integration of climate risks within planning across timeframes and decision making levels.
EMMA VISMAN
Senior Advisor, Impact and Learning
TBC
Lead, Gender, Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)