Dr. Pham Ngoc Bao is a highly accomplished and experienced professional in the field of wastewater and solid waste management, with more than 15 years of experience conducting and leading policy-oriented interdisciplinary research and technical assistance projects in Asia. Since July 2013, Dr. Bao has served as Senior Expert on Water and Sanitation at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, where he is currently Deputy Director of the Adaptation and Water Area (IGES). As Project Coordinator and Project Leader, Dr. Bao has participated in numerous international and regional programs and initiatives related to wastewater and solid waste management, particularly in ASEAN countries, including healthcare waste and wastewater management. Several awards, including the IGES President's Awards, the "Best Thesis" award in the field of Civil Engineering, and the WET Excellent Presentation Award at the Water and Environment Technology Conference, recognize his contributions to the field.
He was also a member of the World Bank Working Group on Plastics in Vietnam and a member of the AIT's Marine Plastic Abatement Program's International Advisory Panel. The areas of expertise of Dr. Bao include water supply and sanitation in developing nations, decentralized domestic wastewater and septage management, and circular economy perspectives for plastic and solid waste management. He has also extensive experience in the sustainable consumption and production area, environmental systems analysis, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.