Deepa Pullanikkatil

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Deepa is the National Climate Finance Advisor for Fiji based at the Climate Change Division, Office of the Prime Minister, contracted through Commonwealth. Previously, she was working for UNDP Eswatini as NDC Coordinator and has been contracted by NDC Partnership prior to that. Deepa is an Honorary Co-Director of "Sustainable Futures Global" (SFG) a network of institutions and members covering 11 countries working on ethical partnerships and interdisciplinary community centered research.
An Environmental Management professional with an engineering background, Deepa Pullanikkatil has worked in Malawi, Lesotho, India, South Africa, Eswatini and completed a residency at the University of Glasgow, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK. Deepa undertook a Post Doctoral Fellowship at Rhodes University in South Africa, researching on ecosystem services and poverty alleviation. Prior to that, she was the national climate change adaptation consultant for the Technology Needs Assessment for the Kingdom of Eswatini. She had worked on climate change adaptation work while at “Leadership for Environment And Development (LEAD) Southern and Eastern Africa” in Malawi from 2010-2014. Deepa has a B Tech degree in Civil Engineering (India), Post Graduate Diploma in Management (India), Masters in Environmental Management (University of Free State, South Africa) and a PhD in Environmental Science from North West University, South Africa. Her interest areas include climate change adaptation, poverty alleviation, ecosystems services studies and water resources management. Deepa is founder of a non-profit organization in Malawi: ABUNDANCE www.abundanceworldwide.org

Experience

  • 2016–present
    Co-Director, Sustainable Futures Global
  • 2016–present
    Co-Founder, Abundance
  • 2023–present
    Climate Finance Advisor, Commonwealth
  • 2021–2023
    NDC Coordinator, UNDP
  • 2020–2021
    NDC Coordinator, NDC Partnership
  • 2018–2018
    Consultant, University of Glasgow
  • 2016–2017
    Postdoctoral research fellow, Rhodes University
  • 2015–2016
    Climate Change Adaptation Consultant, UNEP funded project supporting Ministry of Environment Swaziland
  • 2010–2014
    Project Manager, Leadership for Environment and Development
  • 2003–2009
    Head of Department/ Lecturer, Lerotholi Polytechnic

Education

  • 2015 
    North West University, PhD Environmental Science
  • 2009 
    University of Free State, Magister Environmental Management
  • 2000 
    Amrita Vishwavidyapeedham (Amrita Institute of Management), Post Graduate Diploma in Management
  • 1998 
    Mahatma Gandhi University, B.Tech Civil Engineering

Publications

  • 2022
    Springer Nature, Socio-Ecological Systems and Decoloniality: Convergence of Indigenous and Western Knowledge
  • 2021
    Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, Pullanikkatil, D., Thondhlana, G., Shackleton, C. The cultural significance of plant-fiber crafts in Southern Africa: a comparative study of Eswatini, Malawi, and Zimbabwe
  • 2020
    Forests, G Thondhlana, D Pullanikkatil, CM Shackleton. Plant fibre crafts production, trade and income in Eswatini, Malawi and Zimbabwe
  • 2018
    Springer, Reducing Poverty Through Non-Timber Forest Products : Personal Stories
  • 2018
    Environment Development and Sustainability, Pullanikkatil, D., Mograbi, P., Palamuleni, L., Ruhiiga, T. and Shackleton, C. (in press). Unsustainable Trade-offs: Provisioning Ecosystem Services in a Rapidly Changing African Landscape. Environment, Development and Sustainability.
  • 2016
    Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Pullanikkatil D., Palamuleni P. and Ruhiiga T. (2016). ‘Land use/land cover change and implications for ecosystems services in the Likangala River Catchment’, Malawi. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, doi:10.1016/j.pce.2016.03.002 .
  • 2016
    Applied Geography, Pullanikkatil D., Palamuleni P. and Ruhiiga T. (2016). ‘Assessment of Land Use Change in Likangala River Catchment, Malawi: a Remote Sensing and DPSIR approach’. Applied Geography, Vol 71: 9-23.
  • 2015
    Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, Pullanikkatil,D., Mubako, S. and Munthali, M. (2015). ‘Advancing Green Economy through Technology Transfer: Experiences from Malawi’. Southern African Journal of Environmental Education. Vol 30:66-78.
  • 2014
    African Journal of Aquatic Sciences , Pullanikkatil D., Palamuleni P. and Ruhiiga T. (2014). ‘An assessment of the impact of land use activities on water quality in the Likangala River Catchment’, Southern Malawi. African Journal of Aquatic Sciences 40:3, 277-286.
  • 2013
    African Geographical Review, Pullanikkatil,D., Mubako,S., Phalira,W., Chiotha,S and Luhanga,M. (2013). ‘Schistosomiasis prevalence in Zomba, Malawi’, African Geographical Review. Routledge Vol 33; Issue I.
  • 2011
    International Journal of Environmental Engineering, Pullanikkatil, D. and Urama, K.C. (2011). ‘The effects of industrialization on water quality and livelihoods in Lesotho’, International Journal of Environmental Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp.175–191.

Contact Deepa for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request