Maria Pia Ancora

For the past twenty years, Maria Pia has designed and implemented integrated, climate-resilient urban development programs while leading environmental policy advisory across Asia—including China, India, Mongolia, and Pakistan—focused on water and air pollution and, more recently, the circular economy.

Since 2019, she has been based in the dynamic South Caucasus, where her work centers on overseeing the urban portfolio and developing ADB’s business in climate and disaster-resilient water and urban programs, with a strong emphasis on integrating digital tools.

Hailing from Italy, she holds a Master’s in Environmental Engineering and Land Use Planning from the University of Trento, Italy, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.