Hello! I am

João Carlos Verde

Physical Geographer, Ph.D

I am a physical geographer with a Ph.D on Wildfire Susceptibility Modelling in Mainland Portugal, with twenty years experience in this field of work.

I am currently the deputy of policy for integrated fire management at the Portuguese Agency for Wildfire Integrated Management (AGIF). I have also worked as an advisor at the Special Unit for Portuguese Wildfire Management System, which was created by the Portuguese Government late 2017 after a very severe fire campaign. Since 2017, I have been working mostly on high-level governance, policy and planning.

My previous working experience includes several years at the Portuguese National Authority for Civil Protection during which I took on tasks such as deputy at the national command for relief operations or delegate to the ProCiv working party of the Council of the European Union. Before that, I also worked for the Portuguese National Forest Authority as liaison with Civil Protection.

I am trained under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism Training Programme.

Recent experience


AGIF

Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management
2019 - Present
Deputy for Integrated Management Policies, responsible for the 2020-2030 integrated wildfire management national plan (strategy and process chain), legislative process and liaison on international projects. Coordinator and main author of the international Landscape Fire Governance Framework


Landscape Fire Governance Framework downloads
EN PT ES FR
Landscape Fire Governance Framework checklist
EN
AGIF

Special Unit for creation of the Portuguese Rural Fire Integrated System
2017 - 2018
Advisor, as part of cabinet of the special unit, created by the portuguese government after the severe wildfires of 2017, kickstarted the 2020-2030 integrated wildfire management national plan, authored several resolutions of the council of ministers and produced a proposal of incident command system revision, among other tasks

ANPC

National Authority for Civil Protection
2009 - 2017
Supporting the national directorate for Civil Protection Resources (2015 – 2017)
Physical Geographer at the Working Group on GIS (2014 – 2015)
Head of Planning, Operations and Informations Unit at the national command for relief operations (2013 – 2014)
National Operations Assistant at the national command for relief operations (2009 – 2013), awarded with the Civil Protection and Relief Medal of Merit

The Civil Protection and Relief Medal of Merit is awarded to people or organizations standing out by their actions on protecting people and assets, on a preventive or operative level, under conditions of risk, solidarity and cooperation with authorities for coordination of relief resources.

Expert on wildfire governance

European Union

Peer Review of Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Systems
The Peer Review of disaster risk management provides a country or a region with an opportunity to reflect on its readiness to cope with natural and man-made disasters and to identify ways of improving risk prevention and preparedness.

Greece

Thematic review on Wildfire risk management
Athens, Greece, 29 January - 2 February, 2024

Download report

Italy

Thematic review on Wildfire risk management
Rome, Italy, 18 - 25 May, 2024

Greece

Thematic review on Wildfire risk management
Athens, Greece, 29 January - 2 February, 2024

Download report
Italy

Thematic review on Wildfire risk management
Rome, Italy, 18 - 25 May, 2024

Selected talks

A selection of recent talks


COP28 Dubai
December 2023

Delivered at Dubai's COP28 side event promoted by AGIF, on how good fire governance can help with climate goals

OECD Taming Wildfires
September 2023

Launch event for the OECD report on the Portuguese case-study on taming wildfires

Education


Ph.D
2020 - 2015

Ph.D in Physical Geography

University of Lisbon
Dissertation on Wildfire Susceptibility Modelling in Mainland Portugal

MSc
2005 - 2009

MSc in Physical Geography, Risks and Environmental Resources

University of Lisbon
Thesis on Wildfire Hazard Assessment and Modelling in Mainland Portugal (in Portuguese only)

Degree in Geography
1997 - 2001

Geography and Regional Planning, Physical Geography branch

University of Lisbon
Degree in geography covering areas as geomorphology, geology, climatology, cartography, territorial management, among others

European Civil Protection Mechanism Courses

European Union

Community Mechanism Induction Course
5-11 June 2010
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Rome, Italy

European Union

Operational Management Course
4-10 December 2010
Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency MSB, Revinge, Sweden

European Union

Assessment Mission Course
21-26 April 2012
Federal Agency of Technical Relief, Cyprus Civil Defense, The Johanniter International Assistance, Cyprus

European Union

High level Coordination Course
5-9 November 2012
Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, Arnhem, The Netherlands

Need to send me an e-mail?
Use my first name, @ and then append joaoverde.eu. Hit send. Otherwise, try this