Vladimir V. Tsirkunov works as a senior environmental engineer in the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. Prior to joining the Bank in 1994, he ran the Laboratory of the Supervision of the USSR System of Hydrochemical Monitoring and Assessment of Surface Water Quality. For the past 19 years, he has held progressively more responsible positions with the World Bank related to the preparation, appraisal, and operational supervision of environmental investments, technical assistance, and Global Environment Facility projects. Since 2003, he has been developing new investment operations and analytical products supporting the improvement of weather, climate, and hydrological services. Tsirkunov has a Ph.D. from the Hydrochemical Institute and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Rostov State University, Russian Federation.