Dr. Umamaheshwaran Rajasekar

Dr. Umamaheshwaran Rajasekar is a disaster risk and climate resilience expert with over two decades of experience developing plans, policies, programs, and knowledge products, including digital tools and training programs for mainstreaming governments, INGOs, and multi-lateral agencies' efforts towards building urban resilience.

Previously, he was Chair- Urban Resilience Unit, where he helped the National Institute of Urban Affairs and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, establishing a Climate Centre for Cities (C-Cube) to support climate-informed urban development.

His recent efforts have been towards bridging the technology and communication gap to enable informed decision-making. He has been the team leader and project manager for some of India's pioneering resilience efforts, including implementing climate smart city assessment framework (CSCAF), climate alliance, climate data observatory, climate action planning, early warning systems, urban disease surveillance, and city resilience strategies.

Mahesh holds a Ph.D. with a Major in Environmental Modelling with a Minor in Mathematics from Indiana State University, USA, and M.Sc. in M. Sc. Geoinformatics International Institute for Geoinformation and Earth Observation (ITC), The Netherlands.