By Dr. Sanjay Vashist
As we stand amidst the urgent realities of climate change, it’s increasingly clear that our existing pathways are insufficient. The latest reports remind us that we remain far from meeting the Paris Agreement’s critical goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The UN Secretary-General recently issued a stark warning: “Overshooting is now inevitable.”

Rabeya Begum is the Executive Director of SDS- (Shariatpur Development Society) (www.sdsbd.org), a national organization with a strong grassroots presence in the disaster and climate risk-exposed areas of the lower Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river basin. For years, she has been playing a pivotal role in raising localized vulnerability and adaptation needs to the national and international […]

Dr. Shafqat Munir Ahmad is Deputy Executive Director (Policy) and Head of the Sustainability and Resilience Programme at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan. With regional experience at ActionAid, Oxfam GB, and UNDP in Bangkok, he specializes in climate policy, disaster risk reduction, resilience, and sustainable development. His work bridges research, policy, and practice on […]

Shakeb Nabi is the Country Director of Welthungerhilfe Nepal, with over two decades of experience in inclusive, sustainable, and resilient agri-food systems. He specializes in strategic program management, change leadership, and systems thinking. Shakeb holds advanced degrees in International Development Management (UK) and Humanitarian Action (Uppsala University, Sweden). He has worked across South Asia, focusing on how […]

Ajmal Shirzai, Ph.D., is the Country Director of Future Generations Afghanistan with 30+ years of experience in rural development, renewable energy, and NGO leadership across Afghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan. He recently completed a Ph.D. at Erasmus University Rotterdam on the diffusion of solar energy in conflict-affected settings. Ajmal previously served as a Strategic Planning Advisor […]

Dr. Archana Shukla Mukherjee is the CEO and Executive Director of Change Alliance Pvt. Ltd. (CAPL), effective August 2025. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in workplace diversity, gender equality, safe migration, and sustainable supply chains. Her work focuses on empowering women and marginalized communities across sectors such as garments, mining, tea, and […]

Biraj Gautam serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the People, Energy and Environment Development Association (PEEDA), a Kathmandu-based non-governmental organization. In this role, he leads initiatives that emphasize the localization of climate action while promoting sustainable solutions. His professional expertise is rooted in renewable energy technologies and technology services. A trained energy professional, […]

Dilip Surkar is the Executive Director of Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) and Director of VIKSAT in India. Under his leadership, VASCSC received the ‘National Award for Science & Technology Communication’ from the Govt. of India and the ‘Times of India Social Impact Award for Education.’ He worked as National Coordinator of the […]

Dr. Janaka Hemathilaka is the CEO and Executive Director of Janathakshan Guarantee Limited, bringing over 25 years of experience in the development sector. A development sociologist, he has contributed to community governance, rural development, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and resilience building. He collaborates with national and international organizations and lectures at the University […]

Julie Gurung is the Programme Quality and Innovation Director with over 18 years of experience promoting the rights of women, girls, and marginalized groups in Nepal. She specializes in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), and community mobilization. Her work focuses on embedding gender equality and strengthening social accountability to foster dialogue between service providers and […]