Emilio Sempris | |
---|---|
Minister of Environment of Panama | |
In office March 18, 2017 – July 1, 2019 | |
President | Juan Carlos Varela |
Vice President | Isabel Saint Malo |
Preceded by | Mirei Endara |
Succeeded by | Milciades Concepción |
Viceminister of Environment of Panama | |
In office July 2, 2014 – March 17, 2017 | |
President | Juan Carlos Varela |
Vice President | Isabel Saint Malo |
Preceded by | Office created |
Succeeded by | Yamil Sanchez |
Director General of the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean | |
In office November 2, 2002 – July 20, 2012 | |
Preceded by | María Donono |
Succeeded by | Freddy Picado |
Personal details | |
Born | Emilio Luis Sempris Ceballos Panama City, Panama |
Spouse | Rita Spadafora |
Children | 2 |
Education | Harvard University |
Emilio Luis Sempris Ceballos (born Panama City) is a Panamanian politician and sustainability advocate. He served as Panama's minister of environment from 2017 to 2019.[1][2][3] He also served as director general of the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) between 2002 and 2012.[4][5][6] In 2021, he was appointed as Distinguished Advisor of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM).[7]
He was born in Panama City, Panama.[citation needed] He is the son of María Elena Ceballos Périé and Emilio Sempris Ubillús, both of French descent.[citation needed]
He attended National Institute of Panama Highschool.[citation needed] He obtained a technical degree in Meteorology from the University of Panama in 1995.[citation needed] He was selected for the Fulbright CAMPUS X scholarship in 1996 and graduated with a degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Maine in 1998, and earned a master's degree in sustainability at Harvard University.[8][9]
In 1998, he was hired by the United Nations Development Program to establish Panama's Climate Change Program. In 2002, the Board of Directors of the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) appointed him as Director general, a position he held until 2012. CATHALAC implemented partnerships with NASA, NOAA US Army Cors of Engineers, OAS, and UN-SPIDER's in the areas of research and development, education, technology transfer.[10][11]
During his directorship, USAID, NASA, and SICA/CCAD partnered with CATHALAC to launch the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System for Mesoamerica (SERVIR).[12][13][14] IABIN and ReliefWeb platforms, and launched diploma courses in Water Resources Management and Climate Change Adaptation with the University of Alabama in Huntsville.[4]