Hot Seat with Joanne Chong

Joanne Chong is an environmental economist and policy analyst with experience designing, monitoring and evaluating a wide range of sustainability and environmental management policies, programmes and projects. At the Institute for Sustainable Futures, Jo has worked across the areas of: urban water, climate change adaptation, international development, ecosystem services, and wetland, catchment and river basin management.

Jo has extensive experience working with utilities and government to strategically plan and manage urban water systems, including drought planning, pricing, water recycling and water efficiency initiatives. Jo has also conducted cross-jurisdictional programme evaluations and designed monitoring and evaluation plans in Australia and internationally, including for wetlands management, climate change adaptation, and WASH sectors. Jo has applied participatory socio-economic research methods and stakeholder engagement in a range of contexts including designing and facilitating deliberative processes to value urban water externalities.

Prior to joining ISF, Jo worked for the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage and as a senior research economist at the Productivity Commission. Jo has also spent time as a volunteer and consultant for the Asia Regional Environmental Economics Programme of IUCN – The World Conservation Union. At IUCN, Jo undertook community-based participatory social research, economic analysis, and project management for several wetlands management projects in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Nepal.