People

Ms. Tehmina Akhtar (Pakistan)

Tehmina Akhtar is a Technical Adviser within UNDP/GEF's Biodiversity Cluster in New York since December 2001. She is responsible for the technical development of UNDP/GEF's global portfolio of projects focusing on mainstreaming biodiversity conservation of production sectors and landscapes. She is also the Knowledge Manager on Access & Benefit Sharing and Traditional Knowledge of the UNDP/GEF team

During 2000-2001 Tehmina was based in Ankara, Turkey, as a Regional Adviser for UNDP/GEF in Eastern Europe and South-West Asia, supporting the development and implementation of GEF funded projects in the biodiversity and international waters focal areas. During 1996-1999, Tehmina was the Project Manager of the Regional Capacity Building Programme of the Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Programme (METAP) based in Cairo, Egypt. The METAP III Programme was a joint initiative of the World Bank, European Investment Bank, European Commission and UNDP, that provided technical assistance to 14 Mediterranean countries to strengthen environmental agencies, integrated coastal zone management, and pollution abatement in hot spots. Prior to this, Tehmina worked as the Public Participation Advisor in UNDP's Aral Sea Basin Capacity Development Programme in Tashkent , Uzbekistan during 1995-96, where she supported regional networking and civil society participation on environmental issues. Tehmina also worked as a project development consultant for UNDP's Regional Bureau for Arab States in 1994-95, and as journalist for The Nation, Pakistan in 1991-92.

Tehmina received her Masters degree from New York University, pursuing an interdisciplinary program in sociology, anthropology and political science. She has a Bachelors degree with high honors in International Relations with a concentration in Development Studies from Mount Holyoke College , Massachusetts . Tehmina has worked in over 30 countries, including in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe .