In this interview, Frank van Steenbergen, Technical Director at MetaMeta, part of GOPA Consulting Group, discusses how GOPA addresses climate resilience and energy challenges when building a sustainable future for all. As an expert in water management and climate solutions, Frank shares how innovative, community-focused approaches can create meaningful change in vulnerable regions.  

Q: Can you tell us about our experience joining GOPA Consulting Group? 

Frank van Steenbergen: MetaMeta was founded over 20 years ago but became part of the GOPA Consulting Group in early 2024. I’ve been with MetaMeta since its inception, and joining GOPA has been a very positive experience both for me personally and for MetaMeta. GOPA operates on a larger, more systematic scale than MetaMeta did previously. This allows us to work on a wide range of programs across the globe. I’ve enjoyed the exchange of ideas, the encouragement, and the inspiration that comes from combining innovative approaches with large-scale implementation. GOPA’s commitment to making things happen on the ground makes for really fertile ground for introducing new approaches and delivering impactful results.  

Q: Can you describe a project you’ve worked on that addresses energy or climate challenges?  

Frank van Steenbergen: One project I’m currently working on is in Balochistan, the largest and one of the most impoverished provinces in western Pakistan. The region faces significant challenges, including poverty, isolation, and stagnation. We're involved in preparing the Nolang Integrated Water Resource Management Project, which centers around constructing a dam to capture water that flows sporadically in this arid area. The dam has multiple purposes—it will provide water for irrigation, drinking water, and also generate energy. What excites me about this project is the integrated approach to solving multiple issues at once. It could bring transformative change to the region, especially in providing access to electricity in remote areas. It’s a complex region, with a lot of inequity and vulnerability, but by working closely with the local communities, engaging in discussions, and focusing on locally led planning, we’re hopeful this project will bring about meaningful, lasting change.  

Another example is a project in Tanzania with the Wellco Trust, focused on studying the impact of local agroforestry hedges on the health of agricultural workers. These individuals perform some of the hardest labor in agriculture, often working long hours in direct sunlight with little to no access to shade. We collaborated with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to research this issue and develop solutions to support those affected. Initially, I thought this was a niche concern, but it soon became clear that millions of people worldwide work in full sunlight, making it a widespread issue. Access to shade is, in fact, a basic human right. 

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges when transitioning to renewable energy?  

Frank van Steenbergen: There are huge opportunities for decentralized renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, especially in remote areas. However, one of the main challenges is ensuring that local communities can manage these energy systems themselves. Sometimes, national energy providers struggle with debt, and there can be a reluctance from consumers to pay for energy services. I believe that creating decentralized, local, independent power supply systems managed by the communities themselves is a key part of the solution. This is particularly relevant for off-grid areas. These localized energy models aren’t yet mainstream, but they offer a way to address the challenges faced by remote, underserved populations. There’s potential for communities to produce their own energy and either use it locally or supply it back to the grid. This could fundamentally change the relationship between people and energy providers. By empowering communities to generate their own energy, we can move away from the current issues, like the debt crisis facing many national energy companies, and create more sustainable energy ecosystems. I think that's where a lot of the solution lies.  

Q: With climate impacts becoming more severe, what’s your view on the balance between adaptation and mitigation efforts? 

Frank van Steenbergen: Sometimes we get stuck thinking about adaptation and mitigation as the only options—both of which can feel a bit negative. Adaptation is about accepting that there’s a problem and trying to cope, while mitigation is about preventing the problem from getting worse. But I believe there’s a third way: improving local climates through better water management, reforestation, and land use practices. For instance, in areas where we implement good land and water management, local temperatures can drop by two degrees, and soil moisture can improve significantly. These well-managed landscapes not only benefit local communities but also contribute to regional climate processes, like moisture circulation and decreasing the urban heat island effect. It’s a promising approach that sits between adaptation and mitigation. State and non-state actors really should push this approach because this is something communities can take on themselves. We can arrange our local climate at the community, municipal, or regional levels.  

Q: Can you give some examples of land use change or climate management at the ground level? 

Frank van Steenbergen: One example comes from India, where we’re working to revitalize agricultural hedges around fields. These hedges not only mark field boundaries, but they act as windbreakers, retain water, and improve soil fertility. These hedges, when properly managed, offer so many benefits but are often neglected. This project represents long-withstanding wisdom or utilizing low-tech nature-focused solutions which have been forgotten about in recent years. We’re also working on roadside tree planting in a road project with the Asian Development Bank in Maharashtra, India. Planting trees along roads reduces dust, provides shade, and creates biodiversity corridors. This kind of green infrastructure plays an essential role in local climate management and should be implemented systematically. 

Q: What role do you see MetaMeta and GOPA playing in the future of sustainable energy and climate change? 

Frank van Steenbergen: The work we do at MetaMeta and GOPA is so important because we have a longstanding and deep presence on the ground, but we also understand the bigger picture. We see how things are done in different parts of the world, which allows us to identify what works and what doesn’t. With that knowledge, we can offer valuable insights and practical solutions that can make a real difference. There’s a wealth of local wisdom and effective solutions that often go unnoticed. As a part of MetaMeta and GOPA, we have the unique opportunity to help leverage those insights to create sustainable energy systems and build climate resilience.