Manjari Manisha
Science Officer, South Asia Hub
Dr. Manjari Manisha is a Science Officer with Future Earth, working in the research area “Developing Sustainable Communities in South Asia and Beyond.” Under this initiative, she has closely collaborated with state government organizations, district-level administrative authorities (Chief Executive Officers), Gram Panchayats, and local communities in Karnataka, India, to support evidence-based planning and sustainable development interventions.She has nearly a decade of research experience in transdisciplinary fields, with a strong focus on water sustainability, public health, and socio-environmental systems. Her research includes an in-depth impact assessment of India’s largest water recycling project for indirect groundwater recharge, implemented in the Bengaluru region of Karnataka. This initiative, commonly known as the Koramangala–Challaghatta (K&C) Valley Project, involves the use of treated wastewater from Bengaluru sewage treatment plants (STPs) to recharge groundwater in the Kolar and Chikkaballapura districts. Her impact analysis examined multiple dimensions, including socio-economic outcomes, water availability, sanitation and hygiene (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene—WASH), food security, and cost–benefit aspects. Dr. Manisha has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and popular science publications and has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences.She holds a Doctoral degree in Mathematical Information Science (MIS) from the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR–NIScPR), formerly known as the National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), awarded in 2019. Her doctoral research focused on public health and preventive care, titled “Impact of Sanitation, Nutrition, and Immunization on Child Health: A Comparative Study of Two Urban Slums in Delhi.”She also holds a Master of Science in Bioinformatics from Amity University, Noida, India.