Erik Sparling is a climate risk expert with 17 years of experience providing and overseeing research, analysis, training, and decision-support services for managing climate-related risks across various infrastructure and natural resource sectors. He has delivered these services as Policy Advisor at the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), lead climate change adaptation resource at the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Director of the Climate Group at Risk Sciences International (RSI), and National Program Manager at the Canadian Centre for Climate Services (CCCS).
As an expert for the Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) initiative, Erik works collaboratively with the Government of Suriname Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment to address climate change priorities of the National Development Plan and National Adaptation Plan (NAP). The initiative aims to improve data and information collection systems and integrate climate change considerations into economic development policies, plans, and programs. It will enhance technical capacity, include gender inequalities in climate change adaptation initiatives, and identify and increase access to financing and investment geared toward climate change adaptation. Through targeted awareness building and training, Erik and his team will provide technical assistance to help improve the capacity of the Government of Suriname to plan, design, and build climate resilient infrastructure.
Based in Ottawa, Erik is Vice President of the Climate Risk Institute (CRI). He is also CRI’s point person within the PIEVC Program Alliance, three organizations, including GIZ and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, that are advancing the use of the PIEVC Protocol (an infrastructure and climate change risk-assessment protocol) in Canada and abroad. Erik has served as program lead for developing new, easy-to-use, plain language guidance documents supporting PIEVC users who wish to apply PIEVC across various decision-making contexts. He holds a B.A.(Sc) in Ecology, and an M.A. in Geography.