Peter Kristensen is a Lead Environmental Specialist at the World Bank and has more than 25 years of professional experience in coastal-marine environmental management, climate change, and biodiversity. He joined the World Bank in 2003 and has worked in the Africa Region and in the Global Practice for Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy.

Peter’s professional work has focused on advancing management of coastal and ocean resources and action on the ground through investment and policy operations and frontier analytics and knowledge development. He has conducted operational work on protected areas management, extractive industries and environment, locust control, and pesticide management. He has worked in Africa, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

He is currently leading the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA), which is a transformative response to the urgency of addressing coastal erosion, flooding, and pollution. Through it, West African countries and regional institutions come together to bring cross-boundary solutions for the resilience of West Africa’s coastal communities, economy, and natural capital. Through WACA, finance, innovation and partnerships are mobilized at the scale needed for green, resilient, and inclusive development.

Previously, Peter headed the Bank's work on oceans leading into the Rio+20 process and the Global Partnership for Oceans that was forged on the nexus of sustainable seafood and livelihoods, ocean habitats and biodiversity, and pollution reduction. He also worked as Sector Leader for Sustainable Development in West Africa.

Prior to the World Bank, Peter worked for the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Conservation International.

Peter holds a M.Sc. in Geology with specialization in coastal geomorphology from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. He undertook research at the University of Patras, Greece. He is fluent in English, French, and Danish.

Contact: pkristensen@worldbank.org