Soma Sarkar
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Soma Sarkar is an Associate Fellow with ORF’s Urban Studies Programme.

Her research interests span the intersections of environment and development, urban studies, water governance, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), GESI (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion), climate change adaptation, city resilience, institutional governance, and public policy. Her doctoral research explores urban water crises and governance mechanisms in the complex urban waterscapes of the Indian Himalayas, contributing to the discourse on sustainable urban futures in ecologically sensitive regions.

Prior to joining ORF, Soma was as an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Environment, Urban Governance and Infrastructure Development, Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad (2024–2025). At ASCI, she co-directed training programmes on Public-Private Partnerships in Municipal Solid Waste Management and worked on projects related to urban water governance, evaluation of centrally sponsored urban transformation schemes, and WASH innovations. Previously, at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, Soma has worked on a range of research projects on WASH, urban water governance, forest resource rights and governance, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). She also served as the student coordinator of the Customized Study in India Programme curated by the International Relations Office, TISS Mumbai in 2018-19 with University of Chicago and University of Sydney.

Soma has an MPhil in Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She has been disseminating her work through academic publications and presentations at national and international conferences. She has co-edited a book titled "Urban Commons, Future Smart Cities and Sustainability," as a part of the Springer Geography series, published by Springer Nature in 2023.