Deputy Regional Vice Chair, South & East Asia Dr. Ms. Swayamprabha Das has a Ph.D from Jawaharlal Nehru University, in international relations with a focus on international environmental policy, and her thesis titled- “Environmental Diplomacy and International Co-operation: Case Study of Antarctic Treaty System”.
Dr. Das is a Hubert Humphrey Fellow and was based with University of California, Davis, CA, USA. Her focus was on marine conservation, especially on designation the Marine Protected Areas. During this period, she was professional affiliated with IUCN Multi-lateral office at Washington DC, and attended meetings of ‘Ad Hoc Committee on High Seas’ at UN HQ, New York in 2008.
Dr Das has a progressive work experience of 22 years in the development and environment sector, with a focus on policy, programme management and communications. During her work with WWF India’s marine programme (2003-07), she worked on several programmes (marine turtles, Marine protected areas, marine fisheries certification, etc.) and oceans policies (UNCLOS, Antarctic Treaty and Southern Oceans, Coastal Zone Regulations, etc.); contributed chapter to the Environmental Law Handbook, Govt of India and taught marine policies at WWF India’s Environmental Law Centre. Further-on (2008-09) she worked with Sierra Club and anchored the ‘Climate Change Leaders programme in the Himalayas’ with LEAD India. Thereafter, she served as Coordinator with the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change, Govt of India and focused on UNCCD matters (Sustainable Land & Ecosystems management- GEF 4 and the 4th National Report to UNCCD). Two major highlights of her work are- assisting MoEF & CC on the ‘Science Express- Biodiversity Special’ (2012) and launch programme for the International Polar Year (2007) with WWF-India and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt of India.
In her recent assignments that focused more on social development, she has been instrumental in promoting environment and Green Growth into Human Development context (with NITI Aayog, Govt of India), and in her present assignment she has been developing on Green Jobs and Water Governance with UNDP.