Valentina Giannini, PhD (CMCC) has been part of the European Topic Centre on Climate Change Adaptation, a framework contract supporting the European Environment Agency, since 2016, where she is the co-manager of the European Climate Change Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT), and was deputy coordinator from 2019-2021. Valentina is also involved in the Cultural-E project, which focuses Plus Energy Buildings.

Her main focus is to develop knowledge, methods and tools to support decision-making for climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, urban and land-use planning, urban design, and natural resources management by assessing the needs of users and bridging the gap between data providers and users, including research on climate services. Valentina started developing this interest after graduating in Architecture and Planning (Politecnico di Milano, 1996) working, e.g., in a multidisciplinary group to draft the land-use plan of two medium sized Italian cities (1997-2005). She applied her skills interacting with the many diverse disciplines, including risk mitigation, and actors that are needed to develop a land-use plan. Building on this work experience and through specific studies on environmental management (Yale University, Master of Environmental Management, 2007), she focused first on decision-making processes (starting in 2008), and then on the integration of local, traditional and scientific knowledge in decision-making processes during her PhD (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, 2012).

Her engagement in diverse work and research activities in her home country (Italy) and abroad (e.g. USA, Mexico, Guatemala, UK, The Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Morocco, India, Nepal, Bhutan) also testify her ability to work in culturally diverse societies.