Ananya Chandra

Age: 22

Home Town: East Brunswick, New Jersey

Education: B.S. in Environmental Engineering and Environment, Sustainability, & Policy, Syracuse University

Specific Field Interests: Climate Resilience, Sustainable Development, Water Justice

Placement: VIKSAT, Nehru Foundation for Development, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Area of Focus: Livelihoods, Climate Justice, Tribal Rights

Fellowship Project: Supporting climate-smart agriculture research and dissemination to support rural communities, strengthening climate resilience at the local level.

Highlights: Ananya Chandra (she/they) will be supporting sustainable livelihood programs as a Fellow at VIKSAT. Having studied Environmental Engineering and Environmental Policy with a focus in geography, Ananya is attuned to the intersectional dimensions of environmental issues, the necessity of equitable infrastructure, and the importance of science communication in bridging gaps between communities. She is passionate about civil service and has interned at the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as environmental remediation work with the firm Haley & Aldrich. Further, their research experience is extensive, and ranges from soil biogeochemistry analyses in a wet lab to GIS mapping of federally-funded water infrastructure, both at Syracuse University. Her undergraduate thesis examined the drawbacks of neoliberal water governance, analyzing global case studies to disseminate the role of the private sector, the state, and multilateral institutions in water governance. As such, Ananya is curious about global linkages of water and environmental issues, which they have explored through experience as an academic ambassador to the UN and staffer for Model UN. They are excited to be a part of the social sector as an AIF Fellow with VIKSAT, and contribute to impactful work on the ground to advance climate action and sustainable livelihoods.