Speakers

SWATHI VEERAVALLI

Ms. Swathi Veeravalli currently serves as the Director for Climate Security and Adaptation in the National Security Council’s Climate & Energy directorate in the White House.  In this role, she serves as the Executive Office of the President’s principal climate security and global adaptation expert to formulate and implement U.S. government policy to minimize global food, water, and energy risk and tradeoffs. She previously served at United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) and helped shape, synchronizes and assesses USAFRICOM’s security cooperation priorities in Africa.  Prior to joining USAFRICOM, Ms. Veeravalli led the Strategic Integration Office’s development of national security objectives on contingency operations to ensure force protection and readiness for the Combat Engineer Regiment, while at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). 

Having worked and traveled in over 90 countries, Ms. Veeravalli has several years of experience in international development, civil-military engagement, and grass-tops advocacy.  She holds a Master of Science in Water Science, Policy & Management from the University of Oxford.  At Oxford, she researched peri-urban water development with field-work in Kenya and Botswana.  Ms. Veeravalli also holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs concentrating in African Politics and Development from the George Washington University. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.    Swathi is a dedicated civil servant who is committed to addressing domestic and global challenges and core systemic risks to security in the Anthropocene.

IRINA NOVAKOVA

Irina Novakova leads NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), which coordinates NATO’s civilian and military response to a wide range of emergencies, from natural disasters through terrorist attacks to complex civilian crises.

She has previously served as Head of Media Operations at the NATO press office, where she supported the Secretary General in his public engagements and played a leading role in the organization of high level events, including eight NATO Summits and more than 30 top leadership meetings. In this role, she managed NATO’s relationship with the global media and contributed to policy and political strategy.   

Prior to joining NATO in 2014, Ms. Novakova worked at the European Commission as communication advisor to two Commissioners for humanitarian aid and crisis response. Ms. Novakova started her career in journalism; she covered NATO and the European Union for several Bulgarian media as Brussels correspondent, and worked for a range of international publications, including The Economist.

DR. RAED ARAFAT

Dr. Arafat has a wide experience in operational coordination of emergency services, he participated and organized numerous training courses and seminars in the field of emergency medical care, control and coordination of emergency services, emergency management, etc.

Starting with 2007, he coordinated the activity of many institutional structures and strategic programmes for Emergency Situations, among them: Healthcare System for Emergencies and Disasters in the Ministry of Health, as well as the Department for Emergency Situations that coordinates the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, General Inspectorate of Aviation, Emergency Medical Services and Mountain Rescue in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

On the same line, Dr. Arafat is a member of several scientific and professional organizations in the field of emergency medicine and disaster medicine (both at domestic and international level), as well as author and co-author of several textbooks, books, documents and articles.

Dr. Raed Arafat received academic titles and distinctions conferred by prestigious, national and international organisms, such as Legion of Honour at the class of Chevalier offered by the President of France, International Emergency Medicine Leadership Award from American Academy of Emergency Medicine, National Order For Merit at the class of Chevalier and Officer offered by the President of Romania for the whole scientific and research activity, for the outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of information technology and communications in Romania.

CHIEF COMMISSIONER ALEXANDER DZHARTOV

Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov currently serves as the DIRECTOR OF THE GENERAL Directorate of Fire Safety and Civil Protection, Ministry of Interior, Republic of Bulgaria.

He was born in 1980 and graduated in 2002 from the Academy of the Ministry of Interior, Faculty of Fire and Emergency Safety. In 2005 he obtained a Master's degree at the Academy of the Ministry of the Interior, Faculty of Fire and Emergency Safety.

He has successively held the following positions:

  Instructor 1st degree and Instructor 2nd degree in DPC, PD and RO at RSPAB - Radomir, Ministry of Interior;

  Second Degree Chief of the Radomir Regional Fire Brigade at the Pernik Regional Ministry of Interior;

   Head of the Pernik Regional Fire Brigade, Ministry of Interior;

  Director of the Directorate "Critical Infrastructure, Prevention and Control" at the General Directorate "Fire Safety and Civil Protection", Ministry of Interior;

  Director of the Directorate "State Control and Prevention" at the General Directorate "Fire Safety and Civil Protection", Ministry of Interior.

ASSOC. PROF. PETYA TRIFONOVA

Assoc. Prof. Petya Trifonova graduated in geophysics at the University of Mining and Geology "St. Ivan Rilski” in 1998. She has a PhD in "Earth Magnetism and Gravimetry" accomplished in the Geophysical Institute of BAS and over 15 years of professional experience, including as a student lecturer and supervisor of doctoral students. Assoc. Prof. Petya Trifonova is an expert in geophysical data processing, analysis and interpretation of gravity and geomagnetic anomalies.

 In cooperation with other departments, she participates in many different projects, including seismic hazard assessment, natural disaster and risk analysis for the region of Bulgaria and the Balkans. Currently, Assoc. Prof. Petya Trifonova is Deputy Director of the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and is responsible for operational activities related to seismology, geophysics, geodesy and others.