Klaas is a Senior Water Resources Management Specialist in the World Bank’s Water Global Practice, where he currently works on projects in Latin America and the Caribbean region, and leads the collaboration of the Water GP with the Community of Practice on Nature-based Solutions. Klaas has worked at the World Bank for over four years on the preparation and implementation of projects to improve water security and increase the impact of the water sector on economic, social and environmental development. He has expertise on how to better manage water resources, how to increase availability and quality of water for water services and on how to support clients to become more resilient to water related disasters including floods and droughts. Before joining the World Bank, Klaas has worked 17 year for consultancy firms in the Netherlands and worked on projects in the Netherlands like Room for the River as well as projects in other countries. This was preceded by 4 years with UNESCO and 3 years with the Ministry for International Cooperation of the Netherlands. Klaas graduated from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands with an M.Sc. in what now would be called International Land and Water Management. He has over three decades of experience and worked with multi-lateral development agencies, non-governmental organizations, national, regional and local authorities as well as the private sector.