James Shepherd-Barron is a disaster management consultant and disaster epidemiologist who has spent the past 22 years advising governments and international aid agencies on how to reduce the risk posed by natural hazards like floods, earthquakes and cholera epidemics, and how to coordinate response operations when all else has failed and catastrophe has ensued. He is currently the Shelter Cluster Coordinator in the Philippines, helping manage the response to Typhoon Haiyan.