Carlos Cabrera Proaño is a biologist with a Master’s degree in Environmental Planning and Management, a postgraduate degree in Project Formulation and Management, and a postgraduate degree in Policies for Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services. He has 23 years of experience in conservation and environmental management in Ecuador. He has worked in both public and private institutions on governance processes related to water management under an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach, as well as biodiversity conservation. Until June 2012, he served as Technical Secretary of the Water Fund for the Conservation of the Paute River Basin (FONAPA), which he initiated in 2009. He has also been a guest lecturer at the University of Azuay, teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Since 2013, he has worked at his company INSIGMA Cia. Ltda. (www.insigma.com.ec
), where he has served as Legal Representative and head of the Environmental Management Department. From this role, he has coordinated multiple teams in natural resource planning, including the design of management plans for protected areas and watersheds at the national level. Since 2020, he has supported projects related to the management and sustainable use of biodiversity in protected areas and OECMs in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru, collaborating with international organizations such as FAO-GEF, IUCN South America, and FFLA.