Erin Coughlan de Perez is the manager of the climate science team at the Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre and an adjunct associate research scientist at Columbia University. Her research links statistics of extreme climate events with thresholds for preventative action in the humanitarian and development sectors. Erin manages innovative pilots of Forecast-based financing systems in more than 10 countries around the world, which integrate new funding mechanisms with early action protocol to prevent and prepare for the impacts of extreme events. Erin is also an author for the upcoming 6th Assessment Report of the IPCC.