Henk Simons
Ecologist, MSc
The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Current position and work
Henk Simons is currently working with the IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands as senior advisor biodiversity. In this position he is dealing with a broad range of biodiversity issues, both terrestrial and marine, and related to both conservation and sustainable use. Among others, he is engaging with the private sector on sustainability issues, particularly ecosystems and biodiversity. This engagement aims to raise awareness and to advise companies on how to incorporate biodiversity concerns into business operations. Other activities include program development, policy advice, and presenting/translating the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to various audiences.
Expertise and experience
Henk has over 20 years of, mostly international, working experience in the field of nature/biodiversity and development cooperation. Specific skills and expertise include: business and biodiversity, policy advice, project formulation and – evaluation, ecosystem and biodiversity assessment, forest resources assessment, conservation area management, ecological zoning and vegetation mapping, ecological baseline surveys, tropical forestry, wildlife inventories, analysis and reporting. Ecosystems (of extensive expertise) include tropical forests and woodlands, and wetlands. He has long-term working experience in Indonesia, Malawi, Italy and the Netherlands, and has also traveled extensively to other countries for short-term assignments.
He has worked for a variety of organizations, including NGOs - Wetlands International, WWF, IUCN - and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Prior to joining IUCN NL in September 2005 he worked for three years on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). He was co-coordinator of one of the working groups, the Responses (=policy options) Working Group. In this function he organized and facilitated working group meetings, provided technical support and advice to assessment and report preparation, and contributed to the summary for decision makers and other reports. The MA- findings were released in march 2005 and are regarded as a main point of reference for environmental policies worldwide, including policies of the Netherlands Government.