Sonia Akter

Dr. Sonia Akter is an Associate Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy (Australian National University), specializing in the nexus of agriculture, environment, and development in the Asia-Pacific region. She previously held roles as Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2015-2022), Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (2014-2015), and Senior Researcher at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (2011-2013). Her research focuses on socio-economic vulnerability to natural hazards, gender equity, and climate change adaptation.

Education: PhD in Environmental Management and Development (ANU, 2010); MS in Economics (York University, 2007). She teaches courses on environmental markets and climate policy (EMDV8011, EMDV8080).

Research interests span agricultural policy, disaster resilience, and gender empowerment. Over 150 publications appear in journals like Global Environmental Change and Ecological Economics. She serves as Senior Editor for Food Security and Associate Editor for Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

Expertise includes environmental economics, disaster risk management, and gender-inclusive policy design. Advisory roles include the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and Singapore’s Ministry of Environment. Her work emphasizes valuing water resources, women’s participation in agriculture, and gender-differentiated disaster impacts.