Ina Porras

International Institute for Environment and Development
Profile / Bio: 

Ina Porras is a senior economist at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). Ina has 22 years of experience working in environmental economics in developing countries. Her current focus is on natural capital and ecosystem services (valuation, accounting, and impacts on policy processes), environmental fiscal reform, and upscaling conditional incentives for poverty alleviation and improved ecosystems (e.g., payments for ecosystem services or PES).

Geographic focus: Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala); South America (Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil), Africa (Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda); and South East Asia (Bangladesh/ regional studies).

Languages: English (excellent), Spanish (excellent), Portuguese (Fair)

Academic qualifications

  • 2007: University of Newcastle, PhD in Water and Economics, School of Geosciences
  • 1999: University of Massachusetts, USA, MSc Resource Economics
  • 1996: University of Costa Rica, Bachelor in Economics

Employment and affiliations

  • 2000-present: IIED. Researcher/ Senior Researcher
  • 2012-present: University of Edinburgh. Guest lecturer, Economic valuation methods
  • 2013-present: Plan Vivo Foundation. Trustee and Chair of Board
  • 1997-1999: University of Massachusetts. Statistics teaching assistant/Economics research assistant
  • 1994-1997: Tropical Science Center, Costa Rica. Research Assistant/ Researcher

Materials