Mikhail Fernandes is an environmental advocate who holds an MSc in Local Development.
Mikhail is currently based at UNEP’s Disasters and Conflicts Programme, supporting the promotion and implementation of Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) for the Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR).
He began his environmental work researching indigenous environmental practices while leading community-based forest conservation initiatives in Southern India, then moved to the United States, where Mikhail supported native prairie restoration projects, and the expansion of farm-to-fork initiatives in rural Indiana. As part of his peacebuilding and outreach work, Mikhail has advocated for utilizing education as a tool for empowering marginalized youth populations across gang-inflected communities, especially in South Africa. Mikhail has also supported the development and implementation of permaculture practices in Ubud, Indonesia.