Doug has a background in coastal management and engineering with particular expertise in the areas of coastal processes, coastal engineering and shoreline management, coastal hazard and risk assessment, disaster risk reduction, climate change and adaptation, environmental assessment, and community participation. The first ten years of his career was spent at HR Wallingford in the UK where he was involved in coastal management projects across the UK, Europe, Caribbean, South America and SE Asia. Doug is approaching twenty-five years of living and working in the Pacific region, initially in the late ‘90s as coastal management adviser to the Government of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia. Since joining NIWA in 2003 his focus has continued in the Pacific, predominantly in Micronesia and Polynesia. From 2008 he has been responsible for all NIWA’s activities in the region and continues to work with Pacific colleagues on coastal hazard risk and long-term adaptation planning. During this time, he has worked on projects for a wide range of clients including World Bank, ADB, GIZ, UNDP, DFAT, MFAT, Pacific Island Governments, SPC and SPREP.