Kirsten McDonald is an associate principal with Arup’s International Development team in the Australasian region. Kirsten has 28 years’ experience scoping, planning, designing and delivering programs and projects that maximise impact throughout Asia, Australia, and the Pacific for organisations such as the Asian Development Bank (including the UCCRTF), the World Bank, DFAT, the European Union, the Rockefeller Foundation, Mercy Corps, Plan International, and Habitat for Humanity. Kirsten has worked on several pioneering programs and initiatives building urban resilience and reducing climate change and disaster risk in Asia and the Pacific, including the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network and the ADB UCCRTF. She has authored or co-authored guidance on building urban resilience and strengthening the contribution of social and essential infrastructure to community resilience. Kirsten holds an MSc in Development Studies, from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and a BA (Design), from RMIT University, Melbourne.