Brendan was a contributor to UNEP’s Sudan Post Conflict Environmental Assessment, and co-author of "Water Resource Management in Humanitarian Programming in Darfur: The Case for Drought Preparedness", "Destitution, Distortion, and Deforestation: The Impact of Conflict on the Timber and Woodfuel Trade in Darfur", and "Darfur: Relief in a vulnerable environment". He has published a number of articles on links between environment and conflict in Darfur. He worked in West Darfur from 2004 to 2006 on water and sanitation programming amongst displaced, host and pastoralist communities.

Prior to his work in Sudan he has worked as an engineering consultant specialising in strategic planning and design of water supply and wastewater projects. He worked in China and Central Asia, the Gulf, and Europe. He holds a Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London.