Ayako Mizuno is a programme manager working at the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris (RKC-MPD) in ERIA since November 2020. She is seconded from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) where she is a programme manager at Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Area. Previously, she held positions in the international development field as part of bilateral and multilateral cooperation for over 12 years in North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean.