Dr. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi

She is the first woman Secretary General of UCLG’s regional section.  She received her PhD in urban engineering from the University of Tokyo, and two master degrees in Atmospheric Physic from Nagoya University, Japan and in Public Policy from National University of Singapore.  Bernadia has been working in urban development and related fields for more than 15 years. Beginning of her career she worked with JICA and afterward she was with CITYNET in Yokohama. She is also a visiting professor at several universities in Japan. She has written various papers and has also been a speaker at numerous events.  She was recently appointed as a member of the Advisory Group on Gender Issues (AGGI) of UNHABITAT.  Besides global and urban environmental issues, her current interests range from strategic urban planning, climate change, disaster management, and international cooperation to water management, women empowerment, and local governance.