Mª Irantzu (Iru) Serra Lasa is a seasoned expert in disaster risk management, housing, land, and property rights and safeguarding, with over 20+ years of global experience across Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. As the Founder and Lead Consultant of her own advisory practice
ResilireD and as an associate consultant with Safe Organizations LLC, she supports efforts to prevent abuse of power and strengthen safeguarding systems in humanitarian and development settings. As a former Senior Director at Habitat for Humanity International, Iru co-led the development and implementation of the organization’s global Safeguarding Framework, driving accountability and cultural change across more than 70 country programs and 1,100 U.S. affiliates with a focus on it's humanitarian and international volunteer work.
In her consultancy and advisory roles, Iru combines deep technical knowledge in disaster risk reduction, housing resilience, and urban recovery with a people-centered approach that prioritizes client safeguarding and social justice. She has led resilience-building initiatives across diverse geographies, providing strategic guidance on Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) rights, climate adaptation, post-disaster reconstruction and abuse of power / safeguarding. Her work consistently integrates trauma-informed, rights-based, and inclusive methodologies to ensure that resilience and recovery efforts protect and empower vulnerable communities. She also collaborates with academic institutions on curriculum development and currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at Howard University, where she integrates trauma-informed and rights-based approaches into built environment and humanitarian & development studies at the Department of Architecture of the School of Engineering and Architecture. An Architect and Urban Planner by training, her work bridges technical expertise with a strong commitment to equity and the protection of vulnerable communities.
To learn more about my professional experience, please visit my LinkedIn Profile.