Translating Insights to Action: South Asia's Experience with CCDRs

Dr. Farhina Ahmed has served as Bangladesh’s Secretary of Environment since May 2022. Prior to that, she worked in the civil service in the capacities of Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, and Deputy Secretary in the Finance Division. In her 30-year career in government service, Dr. Ahmed also held leadership positions at the Ministries of Education, Health, Housing and Public Works, Women and Child Affairs, and Field Administration, and at the Bangladesh Civil Service. Dr. Ahmed obtained her bachelor’s (with honors) and master’s degrees from the Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka. She received a master’s degree from Monash University, Australia, under the Australian Award, and a PhD from RMIT University, under the Australian Leadership Award. She also completed advanced studies on human rights at the Lund University, Sweden.

Mr. Ruwan Wijewardene is a Sri Lankan politician and currently the Senior advisor to president Ranil Wickremesinghe on climate change, serving as the Chair of the Presidential Secretariat on Climate Change. He was the former State Minister of Defense and former Mass Media non-cabinet Minister. He was a former Member of Parliament for Gampaha District. Wijewardene completed his primary and secondary education at St. Thomas’ Preparatory School. He then pursued further studies at the University of Sussex where he earned a BA in Political Science.

Mr. Asif Hyder Shah is currently appointed as the Federal Secretary for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC). Mr. Shah is from Pakistan Administrative Services Group and has earlier served in numerous key posts including Secretary Power Division, Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division, Additional Secretary Cabinet Division and also in Establishment Division. Previously, he has also held provincial positions as Secretary Public Health Engineering & Rural Development Department, Sindh and Secretary Forest & Wildlife Department, Sindh. He has also served as Commissioner Karachi and Commissioner Hyderabad.

Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharal is the Secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Environment of Nepal. Prior to this, he served as the Secretary (Livestock Development) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. He was also the Joint Secretary and Chief of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) Implementation Centre of the Ministry of Forests and Environment. He also served as the Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). He has a PhD in forestry.

As the Regional Vice President for South Asia, Mr. Raiser manages Bank relations with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and oversees a portfolio of projects, technical assistance and financial resources worth almost US$55 billion.

Before joining the region, Mr. Raiser was the World Bank’s Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea. Mr. Raiser has also held positions as the Country Manager in Uzbekistan, Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Country Director for Turkey, and Country Director for Brazil.

Mr. Raiser holds a doctorate degree in Economics (summa cum laude) from the University of Kiel, Germany, and degrees in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Before joining the World Bank in 2003, Mr. Raiser worked for the Kiel Institute of World Economics and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where he was Director of Country Strategy and Editor of the Transition Report.