Bekele A. Shiferaw is a Senior Environmental Economist at the World Bank’s Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practice working on the economics of natural capital and ecosystems services. He is currently the Program Manager for the Global Program on Sustainability (GPS), the World Bank’s umbrella program and Multi-Donor Trust Fund which aims to strengthen the production and use of economic and financial evidence on the values of natural capital and ecosystem services to inform government and financial market decisions. Bekele has worked in global development with interest in economics of the environment, natural resources, agrifood systems, poverty reduction, and sustainable development issues for over 25 years, including in research, program evaluation, policy analysis and engagement.

Soumya Balasubramanya is a Senior Economist at the World Bank’s Environment Department. She was previously with the CGIAR between 2011-2022.

Soumya conducts field-based research in environment and development economics in Asia and Africa, using methods of micro-econometrics, program evaluation and non-market valuation. Her work examines topics related to water, land, food, energy and forests. She mostly works with primary data, both large and small samples.

Soumya’s research contributes to understanding ‘fractal’ vulnerabilities faced by the poor. The results of her research have been used by development finance institutions and recipient governments to inform government policy, and to adaptively course-correct ongoing investments and programs.

Soumya contributes to building research capacity in low-, middle- and high-income countries. Along with advising doctoral students studying in the global north, she volunteers her time to regional research networks in the global south,  mentoring and advising early-career persons interested in using economics to explore issues at the nexus of poverty and natural resource management.

Soumya is adjunct professor at University of Waterloo and Texas A & M University;  and a Global Fellow at the Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska.

She is Associate Editor for Agricultural Economics, World Development, and Water Resources and Economics. She coordinates the Committee for Women in Agricultural Economics of the International Association of Agricultural Economics.

Soumya’s research has been featured in media outlets including BBC, Forbes, NPR, The Economist and The Guardian. 

Shewakena Aytenfisu Abab is a Senior Environmental Specialist with the Eastern and Southern Africa Environment Operations (SAEEO) at the World Bank Group, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. With over two decades of dedicated experience in land and environmental resources management, Dr. Shewakena brings a wealth of expertise to his role, particularly in land administration, sustainable land management (SLM), and natural capital development operations.

Throughout his career, Dr. Shewakena has played a pivotal role in the design and implementation of key projects/programs, including CALM/2, RLLP/RLLP2, SLMP II, and OFLP. He is widely recognized for his exceptional strategic vison, operational excellence, technical expertise, and collaborative approaches as well as his ability to provide timely, actionable advice and led teams that drives innovative business development operations. His commitment to strengthening institutional capacity and policy reform have resulted in significant contributions to the Environment program in East and Southern Africa Environment Department. An Ethiopian national, Shewakena holds a Ph.D. in Environment and Development Studies from Addis Ababa University and a Master of Science in Built Environment, specialized in Land Management from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dawit Mulatu is an Environmental Economist with the World Bank's Eastern and Southern Africa region (SAEEO), based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He has extensive experience working on climate, environment, natural resources, ecosystem services, and development issues. He closely collaborates with the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) on Advisory and Analytical Services related to Resilient and Green Development (RGD), Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and Natural Capital Accounting (NCA). With over 10 years of experience working in a multidisciplinary environment, he has contributed to projects in various countries including Tanzania, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Costa Rica, China, and Sweden. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Economics from the University of Twente and an M.Sc. and B.A. in Economics from Addis Ababa University.