Thomas Varghese

About

Thomas Varghese is a subject expert in the field of sustainable development. Having worked in the Environment and Sustainable Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific, Bangkok between 2013 and 2015, he gained crucial insights into multiple domains of development processes such as policy-making, project management, partnership building, research and documentation, and training. As part of the Green Growth Capacity Development Program of the United Nations, he was responsible for preparing and piloting the training curriculum developed for policymakers and practitioners to implement and manage sustainable solid waste management projects in cities and towns in developing countries of Asia-Pacific at the Regional Training Centre in Dhaka. He was assigned this task given his region-wide experience in the implementation of sustainable solid waste management systems in South and South-East Asia, spanning Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Understanding the enormity of sustainability transitions, Thomas thereafter expanded the ambit of sustainability studies to draw from faith-based actors and epistemologies, which eventually took him to Harvard University, USA on a full scholarship to study and research the intersection between religion, theology, ethics, politics and peace. During his stint at Harvard, he lived at and worked briefly as the Resident Advisor at the Centre for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University – an intentional community and research center that sheds light on the influence of religion on contemporary issues such as ecology, climate change and social transformation. Upon his return to India in 2019, he worked in the field of water conservation and river protection through the People’s Science Institute and the India Rivers Forum Secretariat in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, under the mentorship of Dr. Ravi Chopra – Supreme Court-appointed Chairman of the High-Power-Committee to study the impact of development projects on the Himalayan Ecosystem and its rivers.

Thomas is now working to advance an integrated and holistic approach to development at the micro level (Kochi, Kerala), to bridge the gap between the macro level sustainable development agenda set by the U.N and micro level actions and deliberations at the local level led by government and other concerned stakeholders. He has published across Journals and News media on topics related to solid waste management, water conservation, green economy, religion and sustainable development. On these topics, he is also a regular invitee as a speaker, trainer/teacher, and panelist.

Thomas is an alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi (Bachelor’s); Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam Netherlands (Master’s) and Harvard University, USA (Master’s). He was the President of the Student’s Union at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi