Dr Sarah Opitz-Stapleton is a Senior Research Associate in ODI's Global Risks and Resilience programme. She has over 19 years’ experience providing climate and hydrological services and advisory analysis in support of disaster risk management and climate resilience projects for government, humanitarian and development agencies in Africa, Asia and Latin America. She conducts climate modelling and analysis of local to transboundary climate risks, green energy infrastructure and risk-informed sustainable development.

Sarah also works at the intersection of climate, security and development in Fragile and Conflict Affected Settings (FCAS), with a focus on the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. She is leading research and learning programmes around transboundary climate, mitigation and adaptation risks under the Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) and Adaptation Without Borders (AWB). She is also leading research and learning programmes around climate, fragility and conflict under SPARC, as well as for USAID, Action Against Hunger and GIZ.

Dr Opitz-Stapleton was the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Adapting to Climate Change in China (ACCC) project (Phase I and II), advising on the development of the country’s 2013 National Adaptation Plan. She previously worked with ISET-International as a Senior Scientist on multiple projects, leading climate analysis and risk assessment, including the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network and leading Water, Urbanization and Climate Change in Jaipur, India. Sarah has a PhD in Environmental Studies and MS in Hydrology, Civil Engineering.