Richard Friend is a lecturer in Human Geography in the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York and a senior scientist for Thailand at the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition. His work at ISET-International is focused on urban climate resilience and his PhD in Social Anthropology and Development Studies was based on extensive fieldwork in southern Thailand. He has been working in the Mekong Region for 20 years in areas related to human development, governance and natural resource management, with particular interest in sustainable livelihoods, climate change, water resources, and fisheries. He has led regional implementation and capacity building programs as well as research networks for diverse organizations.