Conference Speaker
Dr M. Monirul Qader Mirza is currently an Adjunct Professor and Graduate Faculty Member, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough. He was associated with Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -the winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and contributed as a Coordinating Lead Author (CLA) and Lead Author to its various assessments. Apart from the IPCC Assessments, he also participated as a CLA in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the Integrated Assessment of Agriculture, Science, Technology for Development (IAASTD) commissioned by the World Bank. His major research interests are natural hazards science, climate change science, adaptation and risks, quantification of vulnerability and adaptation.
Keynote Speaker - 1
Dr. Jayanta Choudhury has wide experience in teaching and research in Rural Development for the last 22 yrs firmly focused on the horizon of Localising Sustainable Development Goal. Dr. Choudhury presently Heading the Department of Rural Studies, Tripura University. He was Associate Professor (on Deputation), National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, North East Regional Centre, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. He is the author of 18 books and more than 50 research articles published in National and International journals and in edited volumes. He has led/worked with different research projects in India and Bangladesh funded by World Bank, ILO, UNICEF, IGDC, GTZ, MoTA, MoRD, etc. He is recognized as Expert, Inclusive Policy Lab, UNESCO. He is also a board member of Forum for India Development Cooperation (FIDC), Research and Information System for Developing Countries, New Delhi; Financial Inclusion Trust (2009-2019), North Eastern Financial Inclusion Trust (2019 onward) (under the aegis of Bandhan Bank, India), Bandhan Financial Holding Company, West Bengal; UNAccc, India; Global Peace Let’s Talk, London, etc. He is also the Founder of the North East Training, Research and Advocacy (NETRA) Foundation and the Global Forum for Sustainable Rural Development (GFSRD).
Keynote speaker - 2
Dr. A K M Nazrul Islam is an Associate Professor of Environmental Economics at Dhaka School of Economics (DScE). He is the founding Coordinator of the Environmental and Resource Economics (ERE) Programme of DScE. Prior to his current position, he worked with Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka as a Research Fellow and Oxfam GB as a research and policy expert. Dr. Islam has the experience of conducting research on economic valuation of ecosystem services, climate change and energy issues. He is the Associate Executive Editor of Asia Pacific Journal on Environment and Development, jointly published by Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad (BUP) and Dhaka School of Economics.
Keynote Speaker - 3
Sharmind Neelormi is serving the Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar University as a Professor. She is a leading expert on climate and gender justice in Bangladesh. Her areas of expertise include climate adaptation, with a particular focus on community-based activities, disaster risk reduction, and the gender aspects of adaptation and mitigation. She is a member of the Steering Committee of GenderCC–Women for Climate Change.
Keynote Speaker - 4
Shawkat Ali Mirza is serving as Director of Climate Change and International Conventions at the Department of Environment. He has vast knowledge and working experience in the Department of Environment and international organizations in the fields of International Convention, Environment, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management-related fields. Apart from climate change, he also deals with the Basel Convention, Stockholm Convention on POPs, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and other regional conventions and treaties on the environment. He was an alternate Member of the Adaptation Fund Board under the Kyoto Protocol, a member of the LDC Expert Group (LEG), Member of the Bangladesh Climate Change Negotiation delegation since COP 10, SBs, and AWGs.
Keynote Speaker - 5
Dr. Amir Mohammad Nasrullah is working as a professor at the Department of Public Administration, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh, and Has a Ph.D. in Management Studies from Brunel University London, UK. His areas of research and teaching include Governance and Public Administration, Public Policy, Rural Development, Local Government, Environmental Management, Human Resource Management, and Entrepreneurship Development. He has contributed many scholarly research articles and book chapters published by different publishers, such as Cambridge Scholars, Routledge, McMillan, Serials, UPL, etc.Dr. Amir is in touch with many national and international organizations such as the British Academy of Management (BAM), London; International Council for Small Business (ICSB), USA; South Asian Network for Public Administration (SANPA); South Asian Network for Governance Studies (SANGS); Global Forum for Sustainable Rural Development (GFSRD), Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES), The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh; Bangladesh British Alumni Network (BBAN); and Salam Islam Foundation (SIF) etc. Professor Amir Nasrullah is currently the head of the GFSRD Global Center for Local Government.
Keynote Speaker - 6
Dr. Om Katel is a wildlife biologist and environmentalist who teaches at the Department of Environment & Climate Studies, College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan. He has a PhD. degree in Natural Resources Management from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, and completed post-doctoral research at Nagoya University, Japan. His research interests include hydrology, water resources management, integrated watershed management, climate change, ecosystem services, land management, food security, and biodiversity conservation. He is also a National Geographic Explorer who received a grant in 2021 to explore the invertebrate diversity of the last virgin rivers of Bhutan.
Keynote Speaker - 7
Dr. POORNIKA KUMARI SEELAGAMA is a Senior Lecturer, at the Department of Sociology, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She served the World Food Programme (WFP) as a Sociologist on the Livelihood Development Programme in Rural Sri Lanka. She is also involved with GCRF/ UKRI, World Bank sponsored Projects as a researcher.
Keynote Speaker - 8
Muhammad Abdur Rahaman is serving the Center for People and Environ (CPE) as Director. Mr. Rahaman is a dedicated young climate scientist who has been working in the field of climate science and policy for more than 20 years. In this journey, He is serving the Global Taskforce of Climate Change, Water & Energy as Chair to lead the scientific research. He is also working as the focal point of the CONVERGE COVID-19 Working Group): Economic Impacts of School Disruption and Resource Allocation established by Natural Hazard Center, Colorado University. He has served Social Science Research Council (SSRC) for two times (2009 and 2014). He is the founder of CAMET Park, Deshojo Bazar, and Subarna Krishi.