Ujjwal Pradhan, Ph.D.

Based in: New Delhi, India
Board member since: 2021
Board position: Board Secretary

Dr. Ujjwal Pradhan is the Chief of Party for the Forest-PLUS 2.0: forest for water and prosperity joint program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India. This program provides technical assistance that supports the government and other stakeholders in managing India’s forests as an important component of a broad-based, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth that meets local needs and addresses global environmental challenges.

Dr. Pradhan has more than 35 years of experience leading programs and research in Asia focusing on natural resources management and the environment. Before joining Forest-Plus 2.0, he held a succession of senior posts: Chief of Party for a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) project in Indonesia on participatory land and forest mapping and planning; Regional Director of the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) Southeast Asia and China Program; Program Officer at the Ford Foundation’s regional India and Indonesia offices promoting the  Foundation’s natural resources and landscape management as well as environmental justice portfolios in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. Before joining the Ford Foundation, he directed the Nepal country program of the International Water Management Institute.

Dr. Pradhan holds a doctorate in development sociology from Cornell University and has authored and edited several books and articles on natural resources management and the environment.  He has held numerous positions on the boards and steering committees of prominent organizations, including the Conservation and Development Forum at the University of Florida, the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), the International Land Coalition (ILC), and the Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC).