{"id":52,"date":"2026-03-24T16:17:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T20:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/?page_id=52"},"modified":"2026-07-02T11:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T15:54:14","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"Graham Watkins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This book is for anyone who wants to understand how rapid socio-economic transformations unfold \u2014 and what Latin America and the Caribbean must do to maximize the gains from the next technological revolution already underway. Written for citizens, entrepreneurs, journalists, researchers, and business leaders alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-ast-global-color-5-color has-ast-global-color-0-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\">I work at the intersection of development economics, natural resource governance, and the green transition in Latin America and the Caribbean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-ast-global-color-5-color has-ast-global-color-0-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-2\">Career<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-5-color has-ast-global-color-0-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\">Most recently, I served as Chief of the Climate Change Division at the Inter-American Development Bank. There, I led climate policy, finance, and governance across Latin America and the Caribbean. Over a decade at the IDB, the division&#8217;s climate finance flows tripled. Before the IDB, I led two major conservation institutions: the Charles Darwin Foundation in the Gal\u00e1pagos. I also led the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development in Guyana. Those roles placed me at the intersection of science, governance, and community-level change. Notably, they did so in two of the world&#8217;s most ecologically significant landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-ast-global-color-5-color has-ast-global-color-0-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-4\">Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-5-color has-ast-global-color-0-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph\">I hold a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA from Oxford University, both in environmental science and policy. My academic work built the analytical foundation for a career spent designing frameworks and evaluating institutions. Furthermore, I have advised governments on how to sequence reforms and anchor them in evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-ast-global-color-5-color has-ast-global-color-0-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-6\" id=\"h-writing-amp-research\">Writing &amp; Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-5-color has-ast-global-color-0-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-7 wp-block-paragraph\">I write a <a href=\"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/contact\/\"  data-wpil-monitor-id=\"23\">weekly newsletter on structural transformation<\/a> and the green transition in LAC, published on Substack. My research examines how economies diversify and transform, drawing on historical evidence from across the region. Furthermore, it examines how technological revolutions reshape institutions and how governments can influence outcomes. I have published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles on biodiversity, climate policy, and sustainable infrastructure. In addition, I co-authored two books on conservation in the Gal\u00e1pagos and the Rupununi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/@gwatkins\">Read the newsletter<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This book is for anyone who wants to understand how rapid socio-economic transformations unfold \u2014 and what Latin America and the Caribbean must do to maximize the gains from the next technological revolution already underway. Written for citizens, entrepreneurs, journalists, researchers, and business leaders alike. I work at the intersection of development economics, natural resource [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":278841165,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_about_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_gallery_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_contact_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_events_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_video_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_portfolio_piece":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"footnotes":"","big_sky_generated":false},"class_list":["post-52","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.7 (Yoast SEO v28.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>About Graham Watkins \u2013 Author of The Next Wave<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Graham Watkins led the IDB&#039;s Climate Change Division, tripling its climate finance in a decade, and ran conservation groups in Galapagos and Guyana.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/about\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Graham Watkins\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Graham Watkins led the IDB&#039;s Climate Change Division, tripling its climate finance in a decade, and ran conservation groups in Galapagos and Guyana.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/about\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Next Wave\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/graham.g.watkins\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-02T15:54:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GrahamWatkins\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/about\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/about\\\/\",\"name\":\"About Graham Watkins \u2013 Author of The Next Wave\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-24T20:17:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-02T15:54:14+00:00\",\"description\":\"Graham Watkins led the IDB's Climate Change Division, tripling its climate finance in a decade, and ran conservation groups in Galapagos and Guyana.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/about\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/about\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/about\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Graham Watkins\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Next Wave\",\"description\":\"How Latin America Can Lead the Technological Revolution\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Next Wave\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-Gemini_Generated_Image_a9w7t4a9w7t4a9w7-1.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-Gemini_Generated_Image_a9w7t4a9w7t4a9w7-1.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"The Next Wave\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/techrevlac.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/graham.g.watkins\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/GrahamWatkins\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/graham-watkins-b1665b38\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/bsky.app\\\/profile\\\/grahamwatkins.bsky.social\",\"https:\\\/\\\/gwatkins.substack.com\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"About Graham Watkins \u2013 Author of The Next Wave","description":"Graham Watkins led the IDB's Climate Change Division, tripling its climate finance in a decade, and ran conservation groups in Galapagos and Guyana.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/about\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Graham Watkins","og_description":"Graham Watkins led the IDB's Climate Change Division, tripling its climate finance in a decade, and ran conservation groups in Galapagos and Guyana.","og_url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/about\/","og_site_name":"The Next Wave","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/graham.g.watkins","article_modified_time":"2026-07-02T15:54:14+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@GrahamWatkins","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/about\/","url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/about\/","name":"About Graham Watkins \u2013 Author of The Next Wave","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-03-24T20:17:08+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-02T15:54:14+00:00","description":"Graham Watkins led the IDB's Climate Change Division, tripling its climate finance in a decade, and ran conservation groups in Galapagos and Guyana.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/about\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/about\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/about\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Graham Watkins"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/","name":"The Next Wave","description":"How Latin America Can Lead the Technological Revolution","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/#organization","name":"The Next Wave","url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-Gemini_Generated_Image_a9w7t4a9w7t4a9w7-1.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-Gemini_Generated_Image_a9w7t4a9w7t4a9w7-1.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"The Next Wave"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/graham.g.watkins","https:\/\/x.com\/GrahamWatkins","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/graham-watkins-b1665b38\/","https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/grahamwatkins.bsky.social","https:\/\/gwatkins.substack.com\/"]}]}},"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/PhafPi-Q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":425,"url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/essays-newsletter\/","url_meta":{"origin":52,"position":0},"title":"Essays","author":"Graham Watkins","date":"March 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This weekly Substack series offers concise analyses for busy policymakers, translating evolutionary economics and human ecosystems into actionable insights for structural transformation. Each edition connects theoretical frameworks with real-world applications, aiding leaders in identifying selection pressures and developing capabilities for advancing technological progress. Recent essays focus on technology deployment and\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":59,"url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/contact\/","url_meta":{"origin":52,"position":1},"title":"Get in Touch","author":"Graham Watkins","date":"March 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The post invites discussions on climate strategy and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean, offering contact details for those interested. It promotes a newsletter on structural transformation and the green transition, emphasizing the author's availability for further dialogue. Contact via email or phone is encouraged.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":414,"url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/","url_meta":{"origin":52,"position":2},"title":"The Next Wave \u2014 How Latin America Can Maximize the Benefits of the Technological Revolution | Graham Watkins","author":"Graham Watkins","date":"March 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The book outlines how Latin America can harness the emerging technological revolution for regional prosperity by developing capabilities, shaping markets, and accelerating learning. It emphasizes institutional design challenges in technology adoption, provides country-specific strategies, and targets policymakers, business leaders, and engaged citizens with evidence-based insights on technological transformation.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Infographic titled 'Unified Analytical Approach: Understanding LAC's Technological Transformation' showing three intersecting frameworks \u2014 the Human Ecosystem Model, Evolutionary Economics, and State Transition Theory \u2014 forming a synthesized analytical approach tested against five technological revolutions and seven LAC country cases.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_rsxsksrsxsksrsxs.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_rsxsksrsxsksrsxs.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_rsxsksrsxsksrsxs.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_rsxsksrsxsksrsxs.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_rsxsksrsxsksrsxs.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_rsxsksrsxsksrsxs.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":419,"url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/the-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":52,"position":3},"title":"The Book","author":"Graham Watkins","date":"March 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The thesis in one paragraph The Next Wave argues that the next technological revolution is already underway \u2014 with China leading the frontier \u2014 and that the central question for Latin America and the Caribbean is not whether to lead it, but how to maximize its benefits. The book reframes\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_q10w3fq10w3fq10w.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_q10w3fq10w3fq10w.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_q10w3fq10w3fq10w.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_q10w3fq10w3fq10w.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_q10w3fq10w3fq10w.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techrevlac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_q10w3fq10w3fq10w.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":422,"url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/chapter-roadmap\/","url_meta":{"origin":52,"position":4},"title":"Chapter Roadmap","author":"Graham Watkins","date":"March 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Part I: Understanding Transformation Chapter 1: The Pattern Behind Progress\u00a0\u2013 Explores why technological leadership shifts between nations by identifying the recurring patterns that define industrial revolutions. Chapter 2: The Human Ecosystem Model\u00a0\u2013 Introduces the first analytical lens, illustrating how societies evolve through the continuous flow of biophysical, socioeconomic, and cultural\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":428,"url":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/research-blog\/","url_meta":{"origin":52,"position":5},"title":"Research &#038; Case Studies","author":"Graham Watkins","date":"March 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the research evidence base for The Next Wave. Posts apply the book's analytical framework \u2014 the Human Ecosystem Model, evolutionary economics, and state-led transition theory \u2014 to historical and contemporary cases from Latin America, the Caribbean, and key international comparators. Each post is categorised as a Research Case\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/278841165"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2187,"href":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions\/2187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrevlac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}