Strategies for Adaptation to Climate Change in a Transformative Approach

Dr. Jaap de Heer studied civil engineering (1979) and worked as part of his study seven months in Iran as site engineer on a harbour project along the Persian Gulf. This was just before the revolution in Iran and his experiences aroused interest in tension, uncertainty and major change which he focused on strategic change and transformation in his next study, Business Administration and Organizational Sociology (1985). He worked at the department of Public Works and Water Ways called ‘Rijkswaterstaat’ for six years, where he was involved in policy, planning and change processes. Jaap was researcher and associate professor at Leiden University where he got his PhD in 1991, on the subject of ‘strategy and change in organizations under pressure’. The study showcases processes of austerity, decline and revitalization at Rijkswaterstaat and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water of the government of the Netherlands. Jaap became policy and strategy consultant in 1995 at TwynstraGudde management consultants, where he was appointed as partner in 2000 and a couple of years later on as managing partner. He was professor with Special Appointment at VU University Amsterdam from 2007 to 2014 with the Chair ‘Strategy and Cultural Change’ which he focused on the importance of sense making, power games and interaction in strategy formulation, decision making and change. For TwynstraGudde Holding he was Team Leader of the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 Formulation Project from 2014-2019 and subsequently till 2024 Leader of the BDP 2100 Implementation Project. In 2024 he started jhrStratis, his own consultancy business concerned with adaptation and transformation related strategy development and implementation.

Giasuddin Choudhury MEng. obtained his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from BUET 1968 and Masters in Engineering from IHE, Delft in 1997. He has long time experience as water resources planning and management specialist. He joined Bangladesh Water Development Board in 1970 as an Assistant Engineer in 1970 and retired as the Additional Director General in 2005. During this period, he served as Director General, Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board and Director General, Water Resources Planning Organization. On his retirement from BWDB, he joined CEGIS as its Executive Director in 2005 and retired in 2012. During this period, he served as Member of the Joint Rivers Commission. He was also involved with GWP, ICID, ICOLD and IHP. He also served as an Advisor to CEGIS. He joined Mott MacDonald as the Deputy Team Leader of the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 Formulation Project. After finalization of this project, he served as Deputy Team Leader of the Support to Implementation of the BDP2100 Project. He currently works as water resources planning and management advisor.