Programme

According to the United Nations, only 4% of the estimated USD 10 billion in annual humanitarian assistance is devoted to preventing disasters, yet every dollar spent on risk reduction saves up to ten dollars in economic losses resulting from disasters. How can policymakers, local government authorities, and the private sector better coordinate and create incentives to increase expenditure on risk mitigation? In which areas has investment in preventative measures been most effective? How is climate change impacting the economics of risk mitigation, and what are some of the priority sectors where public–private collaboration can have a significant impact?

Moderator
Alexey Chirikov, Head of the Institute, All-Russian Research Institute for Civil Defence and Emergencies of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (Federal Centre for Science and High Technology)

Alexey Chirikov

Head of the Institute, All-Russian Research Institute for Civil Defence and Emergencies of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (Federal Centre for Science and High Technology)

Born 17 July 1959 in Moscow.
1980 – graduated Moscow Military Technical University. Between 1980 and 1989 occupied various positions at the Turkmen Military District.
1991 – graduated Kuibishev Military Engineering Academy, which culminated in a thesis titled Ways of Raising Efficiency During Structure Collapse Rescue.
1998 – 2000 – head of engineering defence of the population and territories of the Academy of Civil Defence of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
2000 – 2004 – head of research at the Academy of Civil Defence.
2004 – 2009 – deputy head of the Institute of MES Development, head of the department at the Academy of Civil Defence.
2009 – retired as a colonel.
March 2011 – November 2011- science secretary at the Academy of Civil Defence.
Since 2017 – heads the Russian Research Institute of the Civil Defence and Emergencies (Federal Science and Technology Centre).
PhD in engineering, docent.

Panellists
Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations; Executive Secretary, The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
Oleg Bazhenov, Deputy Minister of Civil Defence, Emergencies, and Elimination of the Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM of Russia)
Vladimir Vashchenko, Minister for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus
Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba

Shamshad Akhtar

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations; Executive Secretary, The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

Dr. Shamshad Akhtar (Pakistan) is an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and the tenth Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the five United Nations Regional Commissions.
Formerly, Dr. Akhtar was the UN Secretary-General's Special Senior Advisor on Economics and Finance, and Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. She led the UN-wide coordination of the work on the post-2015 development agenda, and was also the United Nations Sherpa for the G20, supporting the Finance Ministers and Central Bankers track.
Dr. Akhtar has previously served as Governor of the Central Bank of Pakistan. In her capacity as Governor, Ms. Akhtar was also the Chairperson of the Central Bank Board and its affiliates, as well as a Governor of the IMF. She won two consecutive awards as Asia's Best Central Bank Governor from Emerging Markets and from the Banker’s Trust. In 2008, The WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA also recognized her as one of Asia’s top ten professional women.
Dr Akhtar served as Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa Region of the World Bank. In this role, Ms. Akhtar spearheaded the Bank’s response to the Arab Spring as well as the Arab regional integration strategy and its implementation. She served in the Asian Development Bank for almost 15 years, rising through the ranks from Senior Economist, to the highest professional positions, including Special Senior Advisor to the President of ADB, and Director-General of the South-East Asia region.
Ms. Akhtar was a post-doctoral US Fulbright Fellow at Harvard University, she holds a PhD in Economics and a Masters in Development Economics from the UK, and an MSc in Economics from Quaid-e-Azam University, in Islamabad.

Oleg Bazhenov

Deputy Minister of Civil Defence, Emergencies, and Elimination of the Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM of Russia)

Bazhenov Oleg V. was born on April 12, 1959 in Halle, East Germany. In 1966 . he went to study at secondary school №78 in Tbilisi. After completing secondary school in 1976 he entered the Tbilisi Artillery School, where he graduated in 1980 with an engineering degree for operation and maintenance of artillery weapons.
After graduation was assigned to the military unit 97219, South group BHP troops, where he served until September 1985 in the following positions: commander antitank platoon, Assistant Chief of Staff - intelligence chief.
From 1985 to 1990 he served in the army of the Siberian Military District. In 1990 he was appointed a senior staff officer of Civil Defense (CD) Kyzyl Tuva ASSR.
In 1991 he joined the faculty of Civil Defence Military Engineering Academy named after VV Kuibyshev, graduated with honors in 1994 with a degree in command and staff operational- tactical civil defense troops and appointed an officer of the mobilization department of organizational- mobilization department Management Staff of the Russian troops CD. After the Military Academy is currently serving in the Emercom of Russia.
From 2010 to present, he has participated in the liquidation of consequences of emergency situations on the territory of the North-West and Central Federal Districts.
He was awarded the Order "For Military Merit".
The candidate of pedagogical sciences.

Front row participants
David Baskett, President, International Emergency Services (IES)
Eduard Chizhikov, Head, Saint-Petersburg University of State Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia

David Baskett

President, International Emergency Services (IES)

Dave has more than 40 years of classified and unclassified, military, defense and commercial project development experience. This ranged from leading small, very special, fast reaction, research though initial production to team membership on major multibillion dollar US, multi generation, military programs.
Post US Army active duty, he was also responsible for acquiring and delivery of foreign military aircraft and equipment to the US DOD, He managed a concept to production project that won a ranking as of one of the best managed defense programs.
Some military projects had direct Congressional reporting, high political context and oversight assignments. One had special White House authority.
After a 20-year Army career, he was invited to Russia and became responsible for “turn Key” commercial projects, such as:
• Installation of the first multi-city, multi bank debit card system in the former USSR.
• Construction of an all-weather 3,000-person, NHL class sports and ice hockey stadium in Siberia plus one for a follow up special facility in Novosibirsk.
• Modernization of health care facilities and communications systems.
• The implementation of US EXIM Bank backed better, safer, greener, mining programs and equipment which was listed as the largest US Government backed project for Russia in 2003/4.
He founded IXOR, a special federal license holder and defense industry advisor/team member, plus the commercially focused TTE International Inc, which executed the large construction and mining projects in Russia and a long running Joint Venture in Kazakhstan. Then he founded current IES LLC focused on the Beriev Be 200 program to fight US wildfires in cooperation with Airbus officials.
Dave founded, licensed, operated and then closed “Pacific Skyway”, a regional airline with a perfect safety record. A combat veteran who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in Vietnam, he holds aviation licenses in several countries including a US A&P, Flight and Ground Instructor and Airline Transport Pilot.
Education includes a high honor degree in Aerospace Management.

Eduard Chizhikov

Head, Saint-Petersburg University of State Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia

Born 10 November 1963 in Bukreevo, Kromsky Rayon, Orlovsky Oblast in a military family.
In 1980 entered the Shtemenko Krasnodar Higher Military School and graduated in 1984.
After graduation joined the military and remains with it ever since, including holding various commanding posts with the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
1984 – 1988 – head of special communications for division 25064 in Baku.
1988 – 1992 – head of information handling group of the 100th Station of the special communication for the Defence Ministry HQ, Moscow.
1992 – 1994 – deputy head of the 100th Station, head of the key documentation group at the special communication department at the Defence Ministry HQ, Moscow.
1994 – 1997 – head of the 100th Station of the special communication for the Defence Ministry HQ, Moscow.
1997 – 1998 – officer of the special communications security department of the MES, Moscow.
1998 – 1999 – head of the Centre 348 for special communications at MES, Moscow.
1999 – 2002 – head of the Special Centre 348 for special communications and information security at MES, Moscow.
2002 – 2004 – aide to the First Deputy Minister of Ministry of the Russian Federation for Affairs for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, Moscow
2004 – 2008 – deputy head of the Information Protection Department at the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Affairs for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, Moscow
2008 – 2014 – head of the Information Protection Department at the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Affairs for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters
2014 – 2015 – chief military expert of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Affairs for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters
In 1990 took part in Chernobyl disaster relief.
In 2005 he graduated the RANEPA with a degree in State and Municipal Management.
Starting October 1, 2015 – head of St Petersburg University of State Fire Fighting Service of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Affairs for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters.