The World Bank has appointed Sameh Wahba as global practice director for urban and territorial development, disaster risk management, and resilience effective September 19.
A former Brazil sector leader in the World Bank’s sustainable development department for Latin America and the Caribbean, Wahba has been with the bank for 12 years.
His areas of focus have included urban development, housing, and infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in the Middle East and North Africa regions. He is currently practice manager for urban and disaster risk management in the African region.
In his new position, Wahba will oversee formulation of strategy and programmes in the Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice working closely with the World Bank’s Global Practice Management and Technical Leadership Team.
Speaking about his new focus, Wahba told Development Finance: “Without financing, cities cannot become resilient. [The World Bank’s] main comparative advantage as a development partner in the area of disaster risk management is our ability to combine technical and financial service. Catastrophe risk insurance products, for instance, can be an important element for a city to attract private capital or equity investments.”
Prior to joining the World Bank in 2004, Wahba worked at the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) in Rotterdam and the Harvard Center for Urban Development Studies in Cambridge, Massachusetts.