Michele Maynard

Select KEY PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Development Advisor: Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (2023-). Michele is the Development Advisor on Strategic Partnerships, Resources, and Organisation to the UNESCO registered Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. In this role she strengthened the organisational capacity with policy development and has advised the Biosphere on the UNESCO-funded Be Resilient Climate Change project. She currently project manages UNESCO’s Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA) pilot project on sustainable water and ecosystem management in the Eerste River catchment. The CRIDA approach was recently recommended as the chosen methodology for accessing funds from the global Green Climate Fund. Michele serves as a member of the Project Steering Committee for the High Confidence Groundwater Reserve Determination Study for the Berg Catchment. Michele has also coordinated the 
conservation activities of the Biosphere with local conservancies focusing on the protection of the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas World Heritage Site, and associated ecosystems, in line with the Global Framework on Biodiversity and 30x30 targets. Michele developed the proposal for blended finance for the Boland Groot WinterHoek (BGW)Collective that brings together the private sector as well as sector-wide government departments and multi-institutional partners to secure water in the BGW Strategic Water Source Area. As Development Advisor Michele has strengthened local and international partnerships, written proposals linking climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development across local, national and international policy level, and given presentations to academic institutions in Belgium and Germany, as well as various European foundations, the UNESCO German Commission on Biospheres, the Flanders Government, and a Luxembourg non-governmental organization. 

Consulting Manager on Resilience: Pegasys (2022). Michele was part of the climate advisory team that aided in the design of the Green Guarantee Company (GGC) to be the first guarantee company to exist in the global capital markets. The GGC focused on guaranteeing green bonds and loans that enable developing countries to meet their climate adaptation and mitigation targets. Michele also provided technical support and facilitation of private sector engagement within the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem. 

Michele project managed a World Bank-funded technical piece of work to conceptualize and develop a climate change adaptation costing methodology for application for the Presidential Climate Commission, South Africa. This methodology assessed two distinct but related aspects 
of climate change economics: i) the value of estimated loss and damage attributable to climate change impacts; and ii) the value of interventions necessary to address climate change impacts, in the form of adaptation investments. Michele was the Climate Lead Specialist on a team working on the proposal development Provision of Project Preparation Services to the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to the Global Green Climate Fund Project Preparation Facility (PPF) for the scaling up of ecosystem-based approaches to manage climate-intensified disaster risks in vulnerable regions in South Africa. Michele has been instrumental in designing a short, medium, and long-term climate strategy for a CRIDF-funded project on developing a Climate Risk and Vulnerability to Climate Resilience Strategy Action Plan for the Komati River Basin that covers ecosystem -based approaches, transboundary governance, water storage and usage and ongoing climate change impact assessments within the basin. As a 
Consulting Manager in the Resilience practice Michele wrote numerous proposals for a 
wide range of clients such as The World Bank, the African Development Bank, US 
Embassy, NDC Partnerships, UNEP, CRIDF, and she also established a global company 
consortium for a UNCDF climate and development partnership. 

Adjunct lecturer at the Sustainability Institute, Stellenbosch University (2019 –
2020). Michele focused on bioregional and economic regenerative practices and the 
transboundary governance of “the commons” (e.g. oceans, watersheds, ecosystem infrastructure), with a focus on developing students’ ability to apply political, economic 
and developmental theories and perspectives to assess strategic options for 
transformative change.

Consultant for the Zoological Society of London (UK), with fieldwork in 
Mozambique (2018 – 2019). In this role, Michele contributed to the Zoological Society 
of London’s Our Sea Our Life (OSOL) projects in Cabo Delgado. The project was executed 
in collaboration with AMA, CORDIO East Africa, FCSH-NOVA, and Unilurio with support 
from the European Union (EU), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation 
(UNIDO), the Darwin Initiative, and the Foundation Ensemble. Michele’s work examined 
integrated terrestrial and marine regenerative practices, identified multiple transition 
pathways to more sustainable fishing practices and increased marine conservation, 
negotiated opportunities for value-added trade for small, medium and micro-
enterprises, and identified how additional economic benefit could accrue to local 
communities, especially women. This included building resilience, capacity and avenues 
of advocacy for local communities affected by the gas reserve developments and climate 
disasters. 

Policy Advisor, Climate Change & Sustainability for the Pan-African Climate 
Justice Alliance (PACJA)’s Continental Secretariat (2010 – 2012). Michele 
established, developed and oversaw a multi- and trans-disciplinary policy team in 40 
African countries. Her work increased the capacity of PACJA regional and national 
country representatives via technical advice, materials preparations and presentations 
for various forums (UNFCCC, UN CBD, ECOWAS, COMESA, GCF, Pan African Parliament, 
UNCSD, Rio +20 UNEP, Major Groups stakeholders, AMCEN, national governments, etc.). 
As a member of an international team, she provided analysis and wrote policy briefs on 
international climate policy for all UNFCCC intercessional and COP meetings and 
distributed them to key negotiators and other actors. This included contributions to the development of green economy analysis and inputs into the Rio+20 zero draft. In this 
role, Michele also gave regular media briefings and wrote press releases at all key 
events.

Master in Sustainability (MPhil)

Stellenbosch University, South Africa