Ricardo Fuentes Nieva is a chapter author for the World Development Report 2010 at the World Bank. He is currently on leave from his position as policy specialist at the Human Development Report Office of UNDP. Over there, he co-authored four Human Development Reports, including the HDR 2007/2008 on climate change. His recent work has focused on the impact of water and climate disasters on the livelihoods and opportunities of poor people. Before joining UNDP, he was director of statistical analysis and advisor to the Under Secretary of Social Development in Mexico. From 1999 to 2001 he was part of the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank. He has published several articles and chapters in books on social security, social policy, regional development, income poverty and inequality. He graduated with honors from CIDE in Mexico City and earned a master’s degree in Economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain.