Team GLOFCA
Elena Osipova
Programme Specialist for Natural Sciences in the UNESCO Almaty Office
Elena Osipova
Elena Osipova is the Head of Natural Sciences Unit at UNESCO Almaty Regional Office coordinating UNESCO’s work in Central Asia across a diverse portfolio of topics, from UNESCO designated sites, such as Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks, to integrated water resources management, to promotion of science, technology and innovation.
Elena is a biologist and a nature conservation specialist with nearly 15 years of experience. Prior to joining UNESCO, Elena worked at the European Environment Agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature on internationally designated protected areas.
Elena holds a degree in biology, a PhD in plant ecology and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Resource Management. She is a co-author of several scientific publications in the field of protected areas management, ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation.
Diana Aripkhanova
GLOFCA Project Officer
Diana Aripkhanova
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Zuura Mamadalieva
GLOFCA Project National coordinator for Kyrgyzstan
Zuura Mamadalieva
She has expertise, research and project management experience in water resources and environmental management, transboundary water cooperation and natural sciences. She obtained MSc in “Transition Management” from Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany) as a part of "Climate Change Network for Central Asia" program, dedicated to training young researchers of the region on climate change issues. She holds a specialist diploma in “Hydrometeorology” from Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (Kyrgyzstan). Over the past 12 years, she has worked as an environmental specialist on research and development projects for international and regional organizations such as Regional Ecological Centre for Central Asia, Mountain Societies Research Institute UCA, Central Asian Institute on Applied Geosciences and National Agencies, she contributed to projects implementation of IOM, USAID, World Bank.
Kudratkhon Bakhadirov
GLOFCA Project National Coordinator for Uzbekistan
Kudratkhon Bakhadirov
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Dr. Larissa Kogutenko
GLOFCA Project National Coordinator for Kazakhstan
Dr. Larissa Kogutenko
Larissa is the AF-GEF Project national Coordinator for Kazakhstan at UNESCO Almaty Regional Office. Her main research interests are climate change in Central Asia and its impact on water resources and ecosystems. She is an author and co-author of the series of publications on glacier degradation in Tien-Shan Mountains and other Central Asia regions, water resources and climate change adaptation. Larissa holds a master’s degree in Hydrometeorology from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan) and PhD in Climate System and Climate Change in Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (China). Over the past decade, she has experience working as a researcher and project manager with national and regional partners in Central Asia in the frame of the various water and climate-related projects supported by GIZ, UNDP, SDC, and USAID.
Khurshedmo Aknazarova
GLOFCA Project National Coordinator for Tajikistan
Khurshedmo Aknazarova
Khurshedmo Aknazarova, a disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation specialist, has amassed over 15 years of experience in development cooperation, climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, and environmental protection with local communities, international partners, and government authorities in Tajikistan and Central Asia. Her roles have included working with FOCUS, UNDP, Caritas Switzerland, DAI Global, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. Since June 2024, she has been the UNESCO-AF-GEF Projects National Coordinator for Tajikistan.
Dana Zhunissova
GLOFCA Project Finance and Administrative Assistant
Dana Zhunissova
Dana is the Finance and Administrative Assistant for the GLOFCA Project at UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She has extensive experience in leading and managing multidisciplinary projects involving diverse stakeholders. Dana has successfully organized a wide range of initiatives, including seminars, workshops, training sessions, and educational trips across Central Asia. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Nazarbayev University and is deeply passionate about research in water diplomacy, sustainable development, green energy and environmental issues.
Dr. Simon Allen
Senior Research Associate, University of Zurich
Dr. Simon Allen
Senior Research Associate at the Universities of Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland, where his research focuses on climate impacts and disaster risk, particularly in mountain regions. Over the past decade he has been working alongside various local partners to undertake integrated climate risk assessments as a basis for adaptation planning and sustainable development in South and central Asia, the Andes and Tibet. His research activities range from the modelling and assessment of flood and landslide risk, through to participatory studies engaging with local communities to understand adaptation needs. Recent and ongoing project partners have included the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, UNESCO, GIZ, SDC, and UK Aid. In addition, Dr Allen has been involved in various roles with the IPCC since 2009, including as an editor and author of the 2012 Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX), and as a contributing author to the 6th Assessment Report. Dr Allen obtained his PhD in Geography from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand in 2009, focusing on glacier and permafrost hazards.
Altyntomiris Baltabayeva
GLOFCA Project Communications Assistant
Altyntomiris Baltabayeva
Communications Assistant for the AF-GEF Projects at UNESCO Almaty Regional Office. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Management and Marketing from the University of Leicester. With a strong background in digital content creation, media, and graphic and web design, she has contributed to various projects by developing strategic communication plans and creating impactful multimedia content.
Dr. Holger Frey
Group Leader at the Department of Geography, University of Zurich
Dr. Holger Frey
He has been working for over 12 years on climate change impacts in mountain regions of the world, focusing on current and future hazards and risks and related disaster risk reduction and management, and climate change adaptation in general. In several applied research projects, funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the European Space Agency, the World Bank Group, European Union/European Commission and others, he was involved in the design and implementation of climate change adaptation measures, namely including pioneer GLOF Early Warning Systems. He has been working in the Andes, Himalayas, European Alps and Central Asia, collaborating with scientists, NGOs, governmental institutions, companies from the private sector and always strives to assign a key role to the local population. Holger is on the management board of the Scientific Standing Group on Glacier and Permafrost Hazards (GAPHAZ).
Prof. Dr. Christian Huggel
Professor at the Department of Geography, University of Zurich
Prof. Dr. Christian Huggel
Professor at the Department of Geography, University of Zurich, and head of the research group: Environment and Climate: Impacts, Risks and Adaptation (EClim). He has been working and publishing for more than 20 years on cryosphere and high-mountain risks and climate change impacts and adaptation in many mountain regions around the world, including the Himalayas, Central Asia, the Alps in Europe, North America, the Andes, and Caucasus. Glacier lakes and GLOFs have been a particular focus of his research as well as actions on the ground such as early warning systems and risk management more generally. He has been leading large projects in this field collaborating with a wide range of international researchers, national and local governments and NGO’s. He is a Lead Author of the IPCC 5th and 6th Assessment Reports and closely involved at the interface of science and policy in the framework of global climate policy.
Laura Niggli
Project Scientist, University of Zurich
Laura Niggli
Project scientist currently employed at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and a member of the Research Group on Environment and Climate (EClim). She accomplished her studies in geography at the University of Fribourg (CH) and the University of Zurich (CH), where she grew her research interest in high mountain areas and climate change adaptation. Thanks to international collaborations she has gained experience in the Chilean and the Colombian Andes, focusing on interdisciplinary aspects of climate impacts, risks and adaptation in mountain regions. She is interested in natural hazards in cryosphere environments and disaster risk management, and in interdisciplinary and intercultural collaboration.
Dr. Evan Miles
Dr. Evan Miles
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Zhanar Raimbekova
Project Scientist
Zhanar Raimbekova
Project scientist currently employed at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and a member of the Research Group on Environment and Climate (EClim). She holds a degree in hydrology from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Her research focuses on disaster risk management in high mountain areas and climate change adaptation. With over 12 years of experience, she has worked as a disaster risk reduction (DRR) specialist on various research and development projects for international and regional organizations, including the Regional Ecological Centre for Central Asia, State Agency 'KazSelezashita', and the Institute of Seismology. She has also contributed to projects for GIZ and World Bank. Her interests include natural hazards in cryosphere environments, disaster risk management, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Mukhiddin Juliev
Head of the Laboratory
Mukhiddin Juliev
Head of the laboratory at the Institute of Fundamental and Applied Research "TIIAME" National Research University. He has a Post-graduate Diploma degree on Remote Sensing and GIS Center for Space and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP) (affiliated to the United Nations) Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun (India) in 2013 and Doctoral degree (PhD) on Natural Resource Management from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in 2019. He is a member of Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS), National Committee of Geologists of Uzbekistan (NCGU), Debris Flow Association, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), European Geoscience Union (EGU). Main research interests are: Spatial Analysis, Geographic Information System, Earth Observation, Land Use Modelling, Geomorphological Mapping, Terrain Analysis, Natural Hazards, Soil Erosion, Water Resources. Mukhiddin Juliev is a reviewer of Journal of Mountain Science Springer, Science of the Total Environment Elsevier, Bulletin of Engineering Geology Springer, Remote Sensing - MDPI. He has more than 30 publications listed in Scopus and Web of Science database system.
