Mathijs van Ledden is a Dutch citizen and Senior Disaster Risk Management Consultant. He has a PhD degree from Delft University of Technology in hydraulic engineering and an MBA degree from Tulane University in New Orleans. He has worked on many international coastal and river projects at all continents to advise on protection against floods and erosion. He was embedded at the US Army Corps of Engineers in the rehabilitation and upgrading of hurricane protection system after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. He is currently working as a Consultant for World Bank funded projects mainly in Africa, South America and Asia.