Xijie Lu is a senior urban development specialist at the Asian Development Bank, leading urban development and water sector operations across Central and West Asia. His expertise includes infrastructure financing, urban resilience, water security, and institutional reform. Prior to joining ADB, he worked at the World Bank on urban development, transport, and disaster risk management projects. He holds a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in economics and environmental studies from Denison University.