John-Rob Pool

Implementation Manager, Cities4Forests, Natural Infrastructure Initiative

Bio

John-Rob is the Implementation Manager of Cities4Forests, a program housed in WRI’s Natural Infrastructure Initiative, where he oversees the day-to-day implementation of the project, working with the project’s Director and other senior leadership across WRI’s Water, Forests and Sustainable Cities programs. He leads the engagement of multiple cities in Africa, Europe and Latin America; works hand in hand with WRI’s International Offices in Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, and Mexico; contributes to technical research and analysis; and supports fundraising efforts.

John-Rob is the focal point for engagement with Accra, Antananarivo, Bogotá, Freetown, Johannesburg, Kigali, Medellín, Nairobi, Santiago de Cali and Skopje. In this role, John-Rob works to cultivate awareness and spur action on the part of city governments and urban residents to protect, conserve, and restore trees and forests inside and outside city boundaries, and to harness the previously untapped voices of mayors to catalyze the political, social, and economic weight of cities to support trees and forests, recognizing the important role that they play in improving the livelihoods of city inhabitants.

Previously, John-Rob worked with WRI’s Global Restoration Initiative, where he supported the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), a pan-African, country-led initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 to capture benefits for food and water security, poverty alleviation, and climate change resilience. He also led strategic engagement for the Global Restoration Council, a high-level body of restoration champions which aims to harness the collective wisdom, influence, and energy of its members to catalyze and sustain a global movement for landscape restoration.

John-Rob holds a Master of Science in Environmental Policy from the University of Oxford, where he was a student of St Edmund Hall. In addition, he holds a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Biodiversity & Conservation and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology & Environmental Science, both from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. John-Rob is originally from Botswana and is a dual national of South Africa and the United Kingdom. He speaks fluent Setswana and Sotho and conversational Afrikaans and French, and enjoys being outdoors and in nature.

Blogs

Green Space: An Underestimated Tool to Create More Equal Cities
by Delfina Grinspan, John-Rob Pool, Ayushi Trivedi, James Anderson and Mathilde Bouyé - September 29, 2020
The correlation between urban tree cover and income is well-documented in cities around the world, and is often a by-product of historic inequality. However, cities can proactively address inequality, build resilience and improve residents' lives by making green spaces more equitable.
Forests Near or Far Can Protect Water for Cities
by Edie Juno and John-Rob Pool - September 23, 2020
Forests everywhere alter the movement, quality and availability of water. The world’s urban leaders need to account for the role of forests in securing clean water for residents and the agricultural lands that cities rely on.
New Location, New Perspectives: Hearing from African Voices in the Restoration Movement
by Will Anderson, John Brandt, Kathleen Buckingham, John-Rob Pool and Sabin Ray - September 11, 2020
Historically, African restoration leaders are underrepresented in the restoration movement. New analysis found that moving the location of the Global Landscapes Forum resulted in more diversity online and in-person, creating a more inclusive event that emphasized on-the-ground perspectives.
Local Communities Restore Two of Indonesia's Most Threatened National Parks
by Satrio Wicaksono, Dimas Fauzi, Fadhilla Husnul Khatimah, Lucas Toh, Adelina Chandra, Reidinar Juliane and John-Rob Pool - November 16, 2018
In two of Indonesia's prized parks, forest restoration only took off when drivers of degradation were addressed. In one instance, that meant providing affordable health care.
45 Cities Pursue a New Urban Strategy: Protecting Forests Near and Far
by John-Rob Pool, Frances Seymour, Todd Gartner and Mariana Campos - September 12, 2018
Most people don’t associate cities with trees, but urban areas are actually dependent on healthy forests. A new initiative helps cities protect trees—both those within city boundaries and others hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
Radio Helps Niger Farmers Bring Life Back to Their Land
by Lucas Toh, Salima Mahamoudou and John-Rob Pool - August 07, 2018
Nigerien farmers struggle with land degradation. Now, they're tuning in to a new radio program for tips on restoring their fields.
Once Degraded, West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest Is Restored to Glory
by Sabin Ray and John-Rob Pool - July 24, 2018
WRI experts take a field trip to learn from the US Forest Service, learning three lessons for the global restoration movement: support biodiversity, spread the wealth locally and be adaptable.
We Discovered 1.8 Million Square Miles of Forest in the Desert
by Fred Stolle and John-Rob Pool - May 19, 2017
Thanks to high-resolution satellite images, researchers discovered the equivalent of another Amazon rainforest in the world's deserts and drylands.
Rising Carbon Emissions from Warming Soil Highlight Benefits of Land Restoration
by John-Rob Pool and Robert Winterbottom - January 09, 2017
New research explores a vicious cycle: as greenhouse gas emissions warm the planet, soils heat up and the micro-organisms that live in them start to expel heat-trapping carbon dioxide, reinforcing the problem of climate change. Landscape restoration is one way to respond.

External Publications

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John-Rob Pool

Green Space: An Underestimated Tool to Create More Equal Cities

Forests Near or Far Can Protect Water for Cities

New Location, New Perspectives: Hearing from African Voices in the Restoration Movement

Local Communities Restore Two of Indonesia's Most Threatened National Parks

45 Cities Pursue a New Urban Strategy: Protecting Forests Near and Far

Radio Helps Niger Farmers Bring Life Back to Their Land

Once Degraded, West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest Is Restored to Glory

We Discovered 1.8 Million Square Miles of Forest in the Desert

Rising Carbon Emissions from Warming Soil Highlight Benefits of Land Restoration

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