Ayaz Parvez rejoined the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), as Lead Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Specialist in August 2020. Previously, he was working as Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist within the Africa Region DRM Team of the Bank since 2015. Ayaz is a seasoned DRM practitioner and brings various specialized skills such as the design and implementation of both disaster and crisis recovery projects, design of disaster risk reduction initiatives including in FCV settings, the conduct of post disaster and post crisis needs assessments and programmatic recovery frameworks, and enjoys a special niche of working in Disaster-Conflict Nexus situations.

As Task Team Leader, Ayaz has over the last 5 years, prepared and implemented 7 disaster and crisis recovery and DRM investment projects, including in Malawi, Somalia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Ayaz has also particularly focused on slow-onset disasters including droughts and food security interventions in the recent past. He also brings in specialized knowledge of working both directly and indirectly with UN agencies in Bank investment projects.