Fan Zhang is the Global Lead for Water, Economy, and Climate Change at the World Bank. Previously, she has worked in the Chief Economist’s Office of Infrastructure VPU, Chief Economist’s Office of the South Asia region and the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region, and in the Energy and Extractives Global Practice. She has led both lending and advisory programs in the areas of energy, climate change, green growth and poverty reduction.
Since joining the WTR GP in November 2021, she has led efforts to develop CLEAR Water, a new diagnostic tool and associated data dashboards to support water analysis in Country Climate Development Reports (CCDRs). She leads a multi-year water economics research program to deliver cutting-edge knowledge of water’s role in the economy and climate change’s impact on water supply and demand. She is also leading a new World Bank Water and Development Report series aimed at providing regular updates on the state of global water and identifying hotspots for water policy and investment interventions.
Fan has published several books, including In the Dark: How Much Do Power Sector Distortions Cost South Asia? and Growing Green: the Economic Benefits of Climate Action. She has received numerous awards for her research and published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. Her research has been featured in such media outlets as the Economist and Bloomberg News. Before joining the Bank, she was an Assistant Professor in Energy Economics and Policy at Pennsylvania State University. She has a Ph.D. from Harvard University.