Igor

Damas has MSc in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation for Water Resources and Environment Management from University of Twenty in Netherlands, is a well-trained Civil & Water Resources Engineer and Environment Expert. his expertise lies in areas of Hydrological Modeling, WASH, community-based natural resources management, institutional strengthening, GIS and Remote Sensing, governance, Integrated Water Resources Management, Climate Change, Environmental Impact Assessment, Payment for Ecosystem Services, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Development of Land use and Forest Management plans, Stakeholders engagement in development process and Resources mobilization, Forest Landscape Restoration, Wetland mapping and monitoring, Project Monitoring and Evaluation and Design of hydro-meteorological monitoring stations. He possesses 12 years of progressive practical experience in the Water and Conservation sector in Tanzania. He has hands-on experience in planning, designing, managing, and executing Water Resources Management Projects as well as Conservation Programs. Damas has worked with various organizations including the Ministry of Water in Tanzania as Hydrologist he was involved in the development of Integrated Water Resources Development and Management Plan (IWRMDP) of the Lake Nyasa Basin Water Board, Songwe River Basin Management Plan (SRBMP), He has also been working with African Wildlife Foundation (AWF-International Conservation Organization) coordinating water resources management programs, and he is currently working with WWF as Program Executant WASH and IWRM. He is mainly responsible with coordination and delivery of Mara River Catchment Conservation (MRC) Project (USAID funded Project) and Mara Wetland Conservation Project (WetCoP) in the Serengeti - Mara sub-landscape of the Southern Kenya – Northern Tanzania (SOKNOT) Landscape.

I am a Zimbabwean conservation professional specialising in protected area management, biodiversity conservation, GIS and conservation technology. My work combines field-based conservation leadership with the use of technology and spatial data to strengthen conservation planning, operations and decision-making. I currently lead Biodiversity Monitoring & Ecosystem Services, overseeing conservation operations across landscapes within the Zambezi Valley, with a particular focus on the Sebungwe Corridor and the wider Lower Zambezi–Mana Pools (LOZAMAP) Transfrontier Conservation Area. I have a particular interest in using GIS, remote sensing, drones, SMART, EarthRanger and other emerging conservation technologies to strengthen field operations and better understand changing landscapes. My broader professional interest is in helping conservation organisations build practical, technology-enabled approaches that connect effective protected area management with communities, biodiversity and long-term landscape conservation. I am especially interested in collaboration around conservation technology, GIS, protected area management, biodiversity monitoring and community-based conservation across Africa.