In July 2023, Marcel joined the rapidly growing Philippine program as Country Representative, where he hopes to contribute to an expansion of GGGI’s support to the Philippine government to green the economy through inclusive development and innovation and the successful mobilization of investments for people’s livelihoods, climate and nature.

He was previously Country Representative in Indonesia (2017- 30 June 2023) where he led GGGI’s largest country program with a major focus on sustainable forests, mangroves and landscape-oriented projects, as well as projects to accelerate the inclusive development of renewable energy, e-mobility and promotion of green city development.

Marcel is also the newly appointed GGGI Deputy Director in Asia, where he will also provide special support to GGGI’s expanding programs in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and as leader of GGGI’s Sustainable Landscapes Community of Practice for Asia and the Pacific, he aims to support GGGI’s major network of country programs in the region with projects focused on nature-based solutions to pressing climate and economic issues.

Marcel is a wetland ecologist who has worked on a wide range of issues related to natural resources management, climate change, sustainable development and livelihoods for over 30 years.

He pioneered peatland, mangrove and shorebird studies in Southeast Asia and contributed to the establishment of several national parks and large-scale ecosystem restoration projects in Indonesia, Russia, China and various parts of Africa.

Prior to his engagement with GGGI in June 2017, he played a major role in establishing Wetlands International, leading the development of global programs and supporting the establishment of offices and projects in various parts of Asia (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand), Europe (EU, Russia, Ukraine) and Africa (Senegal, Mali, Kenya). Much of his work focused on combining sustainable development with nature conservation, seeking win-win solutions for development, poverty reduction and biodiversity.

Marcel is a graduate in biology of the State University of Utrecht and studied Nature Management at the Agricultural University of Wageningen, Netherlands. In Manila he is accompanied by his wife Tini, and they are both passionate about exploring and photographing the rich diversity of Philippine culture and nature.