Robin Mearns is the director of the Global Department for Social Development, formerly known as the Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice, at the World Bank. Since joining the Bank in 1997, Dr. Mearns has held various positions in Washington, D.C., and in country offices across Africa, Latin America, East and South Asia regions, most recently as Practice Manager for Social Development in South Asia and Africa. He has led operations, policy dialogue and analytics in community and local development, as well as land and natural resource management. Robin also served as the first global lead on the social dimensions of climate change and as sector/program leader for sustainable development (then including infrastructure) in Southern Africa. Prior to joining the Bank, Robin spent a decade in research and teaching on environment and development policy at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and the International Institute for Environment and Development in London. He holds master's and doctoral degrees in geography from Cambridge University and a Master of Philosophy in Development Studies from the University of Sussex.
