Susmita Dasgupta

It has been a long and unforeseeable journey, and now I find my professional vista intersecting with the global challenges of our times. Born and raised in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) I had an early passion for humanitarian purposes but hardly realized the context in which I was destined to work. After receiving a Masters in economics from the University of Calcutta, I traveled to the USA to get a doctorate in economics from the State University of New York. I then taught at the University at Albany and American University before my career began at the World Bank in 1992. As I undertook extensive research on various issues related to development and environment, my work spanned countries such as Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Cuba, India, Iran, Lao PDR, Mexico, Tunisia, Vietnam and Yemen. At present, I am a Lead Environmental Economist in the Environment and Energy Team of the Bank’s Development Research Group, and my current research focuses on climate change and the poverty/environment nexus.

I love to travel around the world, but enjoy living in Washington D.C. and visiting museums and film festivals. I am also an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction, and a regular volunteer at Martha's Table, one of the oldest soup kitchens in the area.