The global environmental community is mourning the loss of Simon Rietbergen, a distinguished forestry expert who dedicated his career to protecting the world's most vulnerable forests. Rietbergen passed away at the age of 65 after a battle with multiple brain tumours.
A Lifelong Commitment to Forests and People
Born in The Hague, Netherlands, Simon was the son of primary school teachers Elisabeth de Bruijn and Evert Rietbergen. His passion for the environment was ignited early, leading him to attend the bilingual Dalton Den Haag secondary school before pursuing higher education at Wageningen University. There, he earned both a BSc and an MSc in tropical forestry, laying the academic foundation for his future work.
Rietbergen's professional journey was marked by a profound commitment to developing progressive approaches to tropical forest management. He firmly believed that conservation efforts should not negatively impact the lives of the people who depend on these forests for their livelihoods. This people-centric philosophy became a hallmark of his career.
A Stellar International Career
Simon's expertise took him to some of the world's most prominent environmental organisations. He began his international work in 1986 as a senior forestry research associate at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London. It was here, in 1991, that he met and married Jennifer McCracken, a fellow researcher focused on natural resource management in the global south.
His career trajectory continued its upward path with a role as a senior forestry research specialist at the World Bank in Washington DC from 1992 to 1997. He then brought his talents to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Gland, Switzerland, serving as senior forest conservation programme officer from 1997 to 2007.
After his tenure in Switzerland, Rietbergen returned to London as senior project manager at the Prince’s Rainforest Project from 2007 to 2009. He concluded his remarkable career as a senior forestry expert at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, a position he held from 2014 onwards.
The Great Green Wall: A Final Monumental Achievement
While Rietbergen contributed to countless projects, his final achievement stands as one of his most significant. In July 2025, he played a pivotal role in launching the $150 million African-led Great Green Wall Initiative.
This ambitious project aims to combat deforestation and desertification by re-establishing vegetation along a 5,000-mile band across the Sahel region of Africa. The initiative's buildup required Rietbergen to lead and manage teams across eight Sahel nations over several years, a testament to his exceptional leadership and diplomatic skills.
Colleagues remember Simon not just for the successful changes he implemented, but for his morale-boosting presence and good-humoured approach to complex, multi-level forestry projects. His ability to balance external policy engagement with internal team support made him a highly effective leader on large-scale international endeavours.
Simon Rietbergen is survived by his wife Jennifer, their children Emma, Sam, and Lily, and his brothers, Evert Jan and Hans. His legacy continues to grow through the vast forest landscapes he helped protect and the countless lives he touched through his dedicated work.
