Prof. Dr. Nidhi Nagabhatla is a globally recognized expert in sustainability science, currently serving as Senior Fellow and Cluster Coordinator – Nature, Climate, and Health at the United Nations University – CRIS (Belgium) and she also holds the position of Adjunct Associate Professor at McMaster University, Canada (profile). With over 25 years of strategic leadership and research experience, Nidhi has led pioneering initiatives at the nexus of climate, water, food, health, and environmental governance. She also served as Director of the’ Water Without Borders’ in partnership with McMaster University, Canada, with her work characterized by the design and delivery of transdisciplinary, impact-driven programs across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America.
She has held key roles with global institutions such as IWMI, WorldFish, and IUCN, shaping research, innovation, and capacity-building agendas in support of resilient and equitable development pathways.
Dr. Nagabhatla’s research and policy affiliations (current and past) include Oxford University (UK), Leibniz University (Germany), Universidad Mayor De San Andrés (Bolivia), and Imo State University (Nigeria). She is also bestowed with an honorary professorship by Amity University (India), recognizing her work in the field of ecosystem governance and nature-positive planning. A prolific scholar, she has authored and edited over 300 publications advancing the science-policy interface in sustainability, including a recent volume on Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) (Springer link). She served as Chair of the Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR), a UN-supported global platform for advancing Eco-DRR knowledge, training, and policy advocacy. She is also closely involved as a ‘Task Force‘ expert with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).
More information can be found at IDPC Co-Chairs and Leads and CODATA.