Anuradha (Anu) Rao

"Putting Two and Two Together: Coastal Conservation and Restoration to Prevent Climate Change Disasters" - Executive Summary - Press release - Full report - "Restoration Success Stories from Ghana" Mangrove Action   Project News, 187th ed., 23 July. - "What Makes a Project Work? A comparison of two   mangrove restoration projects in Ada, Ghana" Mangrove   Action Project News, 188th ed., 19 August.

Bio

Anu has extensive experience as a global activist mostly in the area of environmental conservation, human rights and international development, and largely as a volunteer. Her activism and independent studies have taken her to different countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Her recent volunteer experience includes serving as Regional Coordinator for the UN Association in Canada's A Sense of Belonging project to combat racism; West Africa Coordinator for Amnesty International since 1999; Volunteer Program Officer with Canadian Crossroads International (2000 - 2002); and Observer for the Aboriginal Rights Coalition-Atlantic, Burnt Church, NB (2000). She has also worked for CIDA as a Project Manager and Team Leader (20002003) and launched the Sierra Youth Coalition's Sustainable Campuses project (1999).

Anu has a Bachelor of Arts and Science with Combined Honours in Biology from McMaster University, and a Master of Science in Biology from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She also speaks a number of languages including English, French, Konkani and Spanish.

Issue of Investigation

As a 2006 recipient of the Gordon Global Fellowship, Anu studied the conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems in the context of preventing disasters due to climate change. These coastal ecosystems include coral reefs, mangroves, coastal swamps, tidal marshes, and seagrass, all of which act as barriers and buffer zones to wind, waves and rising waters. She focused this work as two case studies: seagrass mapping and conservation in Newfoundland and mangrove restoration in Ghana.