Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Tech.; degree, Int'l Disaster Mgmt, Cranfield University. Fifteen years with Indian Administrative Service. Has worked extensively on multi-hazard risk and vulnerability assessments, design of end-to-end early warning systems, design and implementation of public training and capacity building programmes, policy and institution building initiatives, public-private-people partnerships for disaster prevention and mitigation in different countries. Five years with UNDP, India and Iran. Since 2005, World Bank hazard management specialist; currently, Program Manager, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), leading the Global Expert Team for Disaster Risk Management, providing strategic guidance and policy advice for the Bank's disaster prevention and preparedness programmes; also responsible for managing the operations of World Bank's partnership with the United Nations and donors for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development plans of the natural disaster hotspot countries. Author of several publications on disaster risk reduction.