Sogol Jafarzadeh is an environmental scientist and international policy professional with expertise in water and climate diplomacy and gender-responsive and inclusive environmental governance.
As Policy Development and Government Relations Lead at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), she oversees the Institute’s engagement with governments, the United Nations system, international organizations, donors, academia and other stakeholders. In this role, she actively contributes policy processes and has supported the expansion of the Institute’s activities and partnerships in Africa, particularly in advancing gender-responsive water governance and women’s participation in environmental decision-making.
With over 15 years of experience in environmental policy and inclusive governance, Sogol has worked to advance transboundary water cooperation, strengthen climate and water diplomacy, and promote more equitable approaches to environmental decision-making. She is a member of the Women in Water Diplomacy Network and serves on its Process Support Team.
Prior to joining UNU-INWEH, Sogol served as an Environmental Affairs Adviser at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), where she worked on transboundary water cooperation and water diplomacy. She also served as a gender focal point and supported the establishment of the Women in Water Management Network in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Earlier in her career, she worked with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as well as with City College of New York (CCNY) and ETH Zurich, on environmental policy and sustainable development.
Sogol holds an MSc in Environmental Sciences from ETH Zurich and a postgraduate certificate in Conservation Biology from the Earth Institute at Columbia University. She is currently based in Islamabad, Pakistan.