Rhomir is a lawyer, local development professional, human rights and disability advocate, and climate policy researcher with over ten years of experience working at the intersection of climate governance, environmental justice, and inclusive disaster risk reduction. He has conducted research on climate adaptation finance, including an evaluation of the Philippines’ People’s Survival Fund under the joint supervision of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and the Thailand Development Research Institute. He took part on a cohort of international trainings climate governance and natural resource governance such as the SWITCH-Asia Circular Economy Leadership Program (UNEP & Tsinghua University) and the Accountable Resource Governance Program (NRGI & Gadjah Mada University), and the School of Climate Change at the Oxford Climate School.
He also engaged in research projects on ecological disaster risk reduction and inclusive Early Warning System in last-mile communities through grants by the UNESCO-Keizo Obuchi and the Global Disaster Preparedness Center-American Red Cross. His research has appeared in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Earth System Governance, and the Journal of Historical Geography. He holds a Joint European Master’s in Comparative Local Development and an MSc in Water Management and Governance, and is currently a PhD researcher at the University of Melbourne.
What inspires me as a changemaker is a recognition that inequality may be a formidable opponent, but it is certainly not invincible. When I see people standing their ground against inequality and oppression, and when you see some ripple effects going on around you from that just single gesture—-that for me is a spontaneous wellspring of inspiration. Ultimately, change can indeed be most painful at the outset, an uphill struggle; most complicated in the middle, an enigma to resolve; but it also can be the most rewarding at the conclusion, warm comfort to cherish.Rhomir Yanquiling