Former Director, UNDRR
Ricardo Mena
Three decades at the forefront of global disaster risk reduction — helping the world move from disaster response to disaster risk governance.
About Ricardo
Ricardo Mena served as Director of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in Geneva, appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. A dual Ecuadorian and Swiss national, he joined the United Nations system in 1993 and has worked in disaster risk reduction since 1990, beginning in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Over his career, Mr. Mena held roles across UNDHA, UNDP, OCHA, and UNDRR, including Head of UNDRR's Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, and Chief of Branch for Supporting and Monitoring the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction — the global blueprint for reducing disaster losses. He has worked extensively on risk assessment, institutional and legal frameworks, early warning systems, risk-sensitive land use planning, and public awareness programmes.
Ricardo is also Co-Founder of WCMR Consulting, alongside Walter Cotte — a crisis and risk management consultancy providing advisory services in disaster risk reduction, climate risk integration, business continuity planning, and organizational resilience to governments, NGOs, and private sector clients.
Focus Areas
- Global disaster risk reduction policy and governance
- Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
- Early warning systems and anticipatory action
- Institutional and legal frameworks for risk reduction
- Risk-sensitive land use planning and public awareness
- Crisis and risk management consulting (Co-Founder, WCMR Consulting)
Speaking Topics
Ricardo speaks on topics including:
- 01Global Trends in Disaster Risk Reduction and Governance
- 02Implementing the Sendai Framework: Lessons from the Field
- 03From Disaster Management to Disaster Risk Governance
On the Record
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