André Aquino is the Lead Environmental Specialist, Sustainable Development (SD) Program Leader for Indonesia, and Timor-Leste, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Previous to this role, André has coordinated the World Bank's Environment, Natural Resources, and Blue Economy (ENB) program in Indonesia and Timor-Leste since 2019, including the management of the landscapes and oceans programs. André has almost 20 years of experience in natural resources management and environmental issues, including forestry, biodiversity, carbon finance and biodiversity conservation finance, nature-based tourism, oceans and coastal management, and rural development.
He has managed several large-scale investment operations, led technical assistance support to Governments at national and sub-national levels, and conducted analytical work and policy dialogue. His work has mostly focused on the interaction between rural communities and renewable natural resources (forests, wildlife, fisheries), seeking mechanisms to ensure benefits flow to local communities and national economies to incentivize conservation and restoration of natural resources.
Originally from Brazil, André worked in LAC (based in Brasilia and DC), Africa (based in DR Congo to cover forestry issues for the Congo Basin, and in Mozambique to cover ENB issues for southern Africa), in addition to HQ. André holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Environmental Economics from the University of Maryland (USA), an Executive Program Diploma in Forestry from the University of Yale (USA), an Environmental Law post-graduate degree from the University of Pará (Brazil), and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Brazil). André is a lover of nature, trekking, birding, and everything outdoors, as well as learning about local cultures and customs.