Who we are
KASA-Lab is rooted in decades of accumulated professional experience at the nexus of science, data analysis, and public policy for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and socioeconomic development.
For more than 15 years, we - two geographers and one social anthropologist - have collaborated at the intersection of inequality and risk. With deep experience of the international development landscape, including the United Nations, governments, science and academia, and local and international non-profit organisations, we make complex risk knowledge actionable for communities, institutions, and individuals.
We believe that science, innovation, and interdisciplinarity are the foundations for generating much-needed action on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, and that citizens and policy-makers, educators, and business leaders are its agents.
We value rigorous and transparent science, open knowledge, engaging communication, dialogue and collaboration grounded in interdisciplinary thinking that turns insight into resilience.
Bina Desai
Bina has more than two decades of experience in research, programme, and policy development on climate change impacts, disaster risk reduction, inequality and social development, displacement and migration, and urban change across the globe.
With an academic background in sociology, social anthropology, economics, and history, Bina has worked with and advised government departments, United Nations agencies, regional development banks, local and international non-profit organisations, academic programmes, and businesses. In her past, she led large teams and oversaw multi-year, multi-million dollar programmes, balancing the need for efficient delivery with ensuring lasting impact for change.
Bina does not accept that persistent inequality, climate change, and growing disaster risk are inevitable. Instead, she continues to believe that open knowledge and direct dialogue are a public good that can help tackle the biggest challenges of our times. This is what led her to co-found KASA and what still drives her work today.
Vicente Anzellini
Vicente is a researcher and policy analyst with over 13 years of experience at the intersection of disaster risk reduction, climate change and human mobility. He is known for analytical rigour, strategic thinking and an ability to translate complex issues into clear, actionable insights.
Before co-founding Kasa-Lab, he spent eight years at the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), leading global and regional analysis and contributing to flagship publications, while also serving as ad interim head of the Monitoring Team. Before that, he worked with UNDRR in Geneva and Nairobi on the Global Assessment Report and on strengthening countries’ disaster loss and risk governance capacities.
His work spans Africa, Latin America and Asia, engaging governments, UN agencies, research institutions and civil society. He holds a BA in History from Universidad de Los Andes and an MA in Human Geography (Cum Laude) from the University of Neuchâtel.
Sylvain Ponserre
Sylvain is a senior programme coordinator with 20+ years of experience in international organisations leveraging science, technology and innovation to advance disaster resilience and sustainable development.
Before co‑founding Kasa‑Lab, he led IDMC’s Data Management and Risk Analysis team, producing cutting‑edge analyses on disaster‑related displacement in a changing climate and strengthening global data systems to monitor displacement trends worldwide.
Prior to this, he worked as Information Specialist at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), where he contributed to the development of metrics to track disaster damages and losses to inform international DRR framework implementation.
He also supported software development and data analysis on disaster trends and impacts globally. He holds a Master degree in Geography from University Lyon 2.