Jo Douwes

Associate

Jo has a Master’s Degree in Development Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a BSc Hons in Zoology from the University of Cape Town. Jo has more than fifteen years of experience working in the environmental sustainability field as well as five years experience working in non-governmental organisations in the education, health and socio-economic fields.

Jo is passionate about understanding and integrating varied perspectives into practical programmes and actions that can help advance environmental sustainability objectives. Her particular interests are biodiversity, water and climate change adaptation. She was previously a Manager in eThekwini Municipality’s Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department and later in the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, where she was responsible for overseeing the city’s involvement in international programmes such as ‘100 Resilient Cities’, the British Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office’s ‘Future Cities Programme’ and the C40 Cities Finance Facility-supported ‘Transformative Riverine Management Programme’. She has also worked on exploratory city projects that involved exploring the feasibility of a ‘Water Fund’ for Durban, piloting the development and application of a ‘Sustainability Filter’ for municipal projects, and exploring ways to build capacity in the biodiversity sector. Since July 2023, Jo has worked as an independent sustainability and resilience practitioner, with most of her projects focusing on project management and capacity development in the ecological infrastructure, water security and climate change adaptation spaces.

Jo is also involved in volunteer work related to animal welfare, and she and her husband Errol have two fur-kids of their own who keep them busy and entertained! Jo loves being outdoors, especially when it involves a run or a hike in the Drakensberg.