Orivaldo Brunini is senior researcher at the Institute Agronomico of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of the Government of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. He has the BSc in Agronomic Engineering from the São Paulo State University-UNESP-; holds a Masters in Nuclear Energy in Agriculture completed a PhD in Agrometeorology by the University Of Guelph. Currently  he is SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER  – VI of the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC), a member of the Foundation for Research Support Fund, of which he was Chairman of the Board trustee from 1997 to 2002 and current Executive Chairman of the Board, for the triennium 2007/2010 and 2010/2013. He was Director General of IAC from 1988 to 1991 and director of the Center for Biophysics and Ecophysiology from March 1998 to February 2008.He is Coordinator of CIIAGRO, INFOSECA, and the SIASECA, programs implemented by the Government of the State of São Paulo, to give agrometeorological support to agricultural activities and reducing risks to agriculture and drought in particular. He has published 116 articles in professional journals and 232 papers in conference proceedings. He has 16 chapters in books published, and has 4 software and other 520 items of technical production. He participated in 180 events in Brazil and abroad. He was the supervisor of 8 Master dissertations and 6 students of doctoral degree; he also was the supervisor of 4 Pos Doctoral students. He also gave professional supervision for more than 90 professionals from various fields. His main fields of interests are: Agronomy and Soil-Water System Plant Atmosphere, with emphasis on Agrometeorology, Water Resources, and Environment. In their professional activities interacted with 393 researchers in co-authorship of scientific papers or not. His research areas are: weather adversities and climate risks for crops, drought effects and mitigation, agrometeorology of corn, sugar cane, crop agrometeorological modeling, water balance, operational agrometeorology, crop zoning and phenology. He has visited technically more than 25 International centers of research and teaching. Member of the World Meteorological Organization Agrometeorology since 1988.Co-Chair of OPAG2 2002 to 2006, member of OPAG 1 from 2006 to 2010 and Chair of OPAG 2 – 2010 to 2014

Dr Mahmoud El Solh, Director General of ICARDA, holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of California, Davis, USA, and has an impressive record of scientific publications. He has more than 30 years’ experience international agriculture research and development in developing countries particularly in dry areas. He started his professional career in the Ford Foundation starting in 1972, then with ICARDA, the American University of Beirut, and FAO, before assuming the position of Director General of ICARDA. He in-depth knowledge of the needs and aspirations of the national agricultural research and development systems in non-tropical dry areas,  particularly in West, Central and South Asia and North and East Africa. Throughout his career his activities have focused on contributing to food security, alleviating poverty, and developing sustainable agricultural research systems; planning, implementation, and evaluation of agricultural research projects for research and development; institutional and human resource capacity development; and promoting north-south and south-south cooperation. Dr. El Solh is the author of more than 120 publications/papers and articles including books and chapters of books. His contribution to agricultural research and development has been recognized through several prestigious awards and honors.

Ana Iglesias is a Professor of Agricultural Economics at the UPM, Spain and previously a Research Scientist at Columbia University, New York. Her research focuses on the interactions between global change, agriculture, and water, with particular emphasis on economic impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. She currently leads several EU projects related to drought management and adaptation policy. Her work has been published in over one hundred papers and she is a contributing author to the IPCC since 1995. She is currently Review Editor of the Economics of Climate Change for the IPCC.  She is the lead author of the Drought Management Guidelines that have been translated into seven languages and applied in Mediterranean countries of Europe, North Africa and Iran. She currently works in a Protocol for Drought Early Warning Systems in Africa as part of the DEWFORA project (EC, 7th Framework Programme).

Dr. Elena Mateescu is a senior expert and has more than 20 years of experience in the field of agrometeorological research activity. Currently, she is the Executive Director of National Meteorological Administration of Romania in charge with the scientific and management activities for national and international projects/contracts. Based on her professional experience, she is/was member in several national committees in charged with climate change and adaptation measures on water scarcity and drought in agriculture and natural environment. In the last 10 years, as Project Manager is in charge with the implementation of national (16) and international projects (5) related with climate change impact on agriculture and adaptation measure to the extreme climatic events including droughts and land degradation. Dr. Elena Mateescu has over 75 publications, including 3 books as main author or co-author, 72 scientific articles published in Romanian Journal or International Proceedings. Also, Dr. Elena Mateescu received in 2012 the Award “Gheorghe Ionescu-Sisesti” from the Romanian Academy as author of book “Climate change impact on agriculture in Romania” published in 2010.