Benny Istanto Logo Benny Istanto Logo
  • Home
  • About
  • CSR
  • Blog
  • Works
    • Overview
    • Experiences
    • Projects
    • Consulting
    • Maps & Infographics
  • CV

Experiences

Professional journey in climate science and GIS

With limited skills I have, so far I’ve been working on information management and coordination for humanitarian activities, GIS and remote sensing, crop simulation models, agriculture meteorology and climate risk analytics.

Find out some information about the projects that I’ve been involved with…

International Development Agencies

Sep 2025 - Present

The World Bank

Risk Data Librarian

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)

Washington DC, US

Making Hazard, Exposure, Vulnerability and Loss (HEVL) data play nice together for standardized risk insight, Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) data for unfair disaster. Risk Data Library project, an initiative of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).

Sep 2021 - Present

The World Bank

Climate Geographer

GOST, Data Analytics and Tools. DEC Data Group

Washington DC, US

I supported 15+ projects (some of them are still ongoing) with various themes from Sustainable Development Flagship, Water and Climate, Urban Development, World Development Report, Poverty Alleviation, Data Partnership, Ukraine need assessment, and Climate-informed spatial planning. I collaborate with teams across the bank to deliver solutions addressing issues in sustainable development, agriculture, and hydrometeorological monitoring.

Jan 2017 - Aug 2021

World Food Programme

Earth Observation and Climate Analyst

Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping

Regional Asia and the Pacific

Support Bangkok Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific (RBB) VAM team with climate risk analytics and outlook, and responsible for spatial analysis covering 22 countries (17 country offices + 5 oversight countries).

Jun 2012 - Dec 2016

World Food Programme

GIS Officer

Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping

Indonesia

Working under Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) unit - capacity development for WFP staffs and government counterparts; secondary data initiative; involved in emergency response; enhance knowledge on methodologies of analyzing relationship between climate characteristics, natural disaster and food security; exploration for new methodologies and research on satellite-based application for food security, deforestation, hydrometeorological disaster and agriculture application.

Selected Achievements

  • The Best GIS Officer in 1st GIS Community Award 2015, World Food Programme, worldwide
  • Created online FSVA 2015, now installed in the President of Indonesia’s situation room to monitor national food security
  • Developed VAMPIRE - The Vulnerability Analysis and Monitoring Platform for Impact of Regional Events
  • Indonesia Country Office SDI and GIS Services
  • Province Infographic

Jul 2011 - Jun 2012

International Labour Organization

GIS Officer

Creating Jobs: Capacity Building for Local Resource-based Road Works

Aceh, Indonesia

UNDP/ILO Project in selected districts in Aceh and Nias.

Selected Achievements

  • Made 1 staff of district public works a champion in the GIS operating room
  • Completed institutional capacity development: 538 days of trainee-days, 31 men and 8 women trainees
  • District road and bridge condition survey completed for ±850 km in Bireuen

Feb - May 2011

International Labour Organization

GIS Consultant

Creating Jobs: Capacity Building for Local Resource-based Road Works

Aceh, Indonesia

Selected Achievements

  • Completed institutional capacity development: 398 days of trainee-days, 120 men and 36 women trainees
  • District road and bridge condition survey for ±750 km of district road in Pidie completed
  • Comprehensive spatial data with attributes for every 100 meters of road

May - Dec 2010

United Nations Resident Coordinator Office

Information Management Officer

2010 West Sumatra Recovery Network

West Sumatra, Indonesia

Dec 2009 - Apr 2010

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

GIS/IT Officer

2009 West Sumatra Earthquake Response

West Sumatra, Indonesia

Oct - Dec 2009

Asian Development Bank

GIS Modeler

Information Support for Management of Aceh’s Forest Resources

Aceh, Indonesia

Client: SKM - Sinclair Knight Merz. Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Support Project - Package 39 Part 2.

May - Sep 2009

United Nations Population Fund

Census Mapping Supervisor

2010 Population and Housing Census in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste

Selected Achievements

  • Revised enumeration area, suco location and marked landmark for 3 districts (Dili, Oecusse and Baucau)

Aug - Dec 2009

Millennium Challenge Corporation

GIS Consultant

Indonesia Immunization Project

Jakarta, Indonesia

Jul 2008 - Apr 2009

Asian Development Bank

GIS Modeler

Information Support for Management of Aceh’s Forest Resources

Aceh, Indonesia

Client: SECID - South East Consortium for International Development. Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Support Project - Package 38.

Apr 2008

European Union

Short-term Expert

South Sumatra Forest Fire Management Project

Palembang, Indonesia

Selected Achievements

  • Guideline on the use of remote sensing open source software for fire monitoring

Oct 2006

European Union

GIS Consultant

South Sumatra Forest Fire Management Project

Palembang, Indonesia

Selected Achievements

  • Spatial Information System for Land and Forest Fire (SISKe), a desktop application for fire monitoring utilized by all forestry offices at district level in South Sumatra

Government of Indonesia

Dec 2007 - Mar 2008

Ministry of Forestry

GIS Consultant

Rehabilitation of Land and Forest on Ciliwung-Cisadane Watershed

West Java, Indonesia

Flood Management in Jabotabek Area. Client: Center of Watershed Management (BPDAS) Citarum - Ciliwung.

Oct 2007 - Jan 2008

Ministry of Forestry

GIS Consultant

Spring water identification in Jeneberang - Walanae watershed

South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Client: Center of Watershed Management (BPDAS) Jeneberang - Walanae.

Sep - Nov 2007

Ministry of Forestry

GIS Consultant

Spring water identification in Sampara watershed

South East Sulawesi, Indonesia

Client: Center of Watershed Management (BPDAS) Sampara.

Aug - Oct 2007

Ministry of Forestry

GIS Consultant

Spring water identification in Citarum - Ciliwung watershed

West Java, Indonesia

Client: Center of Watershed Management (BPDAS) Citarum - Ciliwung.

Feb - May 2007

Government of Papua

GIS Consultant

Photogrammetrical study of Waropen district

Papua, Indonesia

Client: Regional Development Planning Board of Waropen district.

Apr 2006 - May 2007

National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN)

Research Assistant

Remotely-sensed information system for natural disaster mitigation

Jakarta, Indonesia

Client: Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Monitoring (PSDAL), Center for Remote Sensing Application and Technology Development.

Aug 2005 - Jan 2007

Bogor Agricultural University

Lecturer Assistant

Satellite Meteorology & Satellite Climatology Courses

Bogor, Indonesia

Teaching assistant for Satellite Meteorology (undergraduate) and Satellite Climatology (graduate) programs. Client: Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

Jan - Dec 2005

National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN)

Research Assistant

Energy balance on land use and land cover change in Java

Bandung, Indonesia

Client: Division of Climatology and Environment Application (BAKL), Center for Atmospheric and Climate Sciences.

Jun - Dec 2004

Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT)

Intern

GIS-based software design for climate data analysis and visualization

Jakarta, Indonesia

Client: Laboratory of Geosystem Technology, Directorate of Technology for Natural Resource Inventory (TISDA).

← Back to Works

Back to top

© 2026, Benny Istanto.

Exploring Climate with GIS and Data Science, solving old problems in new ways. Turning earth observation data into actionable, life-saving insights.

Built with Quarto

  • View source
  • Report an issue

Buy Me a Coffee