Dr Herath has more than 40 years of experience in civil engineering, both in industry and in academia, specializing in flood risk reduction, urban water management and climate change and impact assessment, using mathematical models and spatial data. His most recent assignment was the development of a centre for integrated flood and water management for Metro Colombo as the Team Leader of the project from 2016 July till 2020 June, the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project funded by the World Bank. He also served as a Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development, Sri Lanka during that period. Prior to that, he was Academic Director and Senior Academic Programme Officer at the Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, United Nations University (UNU-IAS), (2002-2916), Associate Professor and Guest Foreign Professor at the University of Tokyo (1991-2002), senior research engineer in industry, Tokyo (1988-1991). Dr Herath holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Tokyo. His current affiliations include being the Director at the Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Sri Lanka as well as Director of Envi Forecasting in Australia.