I am a geographer and a sociologist with a PhD which focuses on community perception about the East Kolkata Wetlands' changing nature. My research analyzed the response of urban Kolkata and wetland-dependent communities to the loss of a Ramsar site because of unrestrained real estate development on the city's eastern edge. My passion lies in environmental and social justice issues, and I have previously worked with grassroots organizations to ease the impact of these issues on marginalized communities. In my previous role, I led advocacy efforts, campaigns, and workshops to safeguard ecologically vulnerable areas in Karnataka and Loktak Lake in Manipur. I also bring a year-long postdoctoral experience, working with a team to identify the barriers and enablers of providing safe drinking water to rural households. Working with grassroots communities gave me a deep appreciation of India's unique natural resources and wildlife heritage. This has motivated me to work with organizations that protect endangered species and restore degraded ecosystems to conserve biodiversity.