Darshini Ravindranath

Research Group Leader – Climate Policies, Finance and Processes (CPFP)

Research team

Water, climate change and resilience > Climate policies, finance and processes

Areas of expertise

Livelihoods Energy Solar power Adaptation Mitigation Finance Water-Energy-Food-Environment (WEFE) Nexus

Darshini has over 15 years’ experience with diverse organisations including government, research institutes, multilateral development agencies, private sector consulting and NGOs. Prior to joining IWMI, Darshini was a Principal Policy Advisor and Program Lead – International Climate Finance – at the UK Government, where she led teams overseeing UK Aid programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Darshini\’s previous posts have enabled her to provide expert research advice, technical assistance, and support to agencies and governments transitioning to low carbon and resilient strategies. These bodies include ADB, UNDP, UNEP, Grantham Research Centre, IIED, and Water Aid. Darshini holds a PhD in Sustainable Resources from University College London and an MSc in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Current projects

SoLAR: Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience

Water Resilience Tracker

Latest news for Darshini Ravindranath

A field visit to on solar irrigation systems as part of the hands-on training for KVK scientists, highlighting system operation, maintenance, and farmer outreach under the PM-KUSUM scheme. Photo: Tanmoy Bhaduri/IWMI

Blogs

Agriculture advisors to bring more Indian farmers towards renewable energy

IWMI taps into India’s deeply rooted farm-advisory networks to build trust in solar irrigation ...

March 31, 2026

Blogs

The Water Resilience Tracker is reframing climate policy across the Global South

From Nepal and Malawi to Egypt and Brazil, policymakers are making more strategic climate decisions by integrating water into their approaches ...

March 30, 2026

Instagram Photo Year of the Woman Farmer

Features

Strong roots, inclusive futures

Throughout 2026, IWMI is highlighting the imperative role of women farmers in water security and climate resilience ...

March 26, 2026

Kusum Devi operates a solar-powered rice mill in Chimkatola village, Madhya Pradesh. Photo: Tanmoy Bhaduri/IWMI

Features

Innovative solar irrigation models inspire South–South learning

Community-managed solar irrigation in India offers scalable lessons for the Global South ...

February 16, 2026

Sipiue Paulo stands with her son inside their home, which was partially destroyed by Cyclone Idai in 2019. One of the worst tropical storms to hit Southern Africa, the cyclone tore through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, causing more than $2 billion in damage. Photo: Isabel Corthier/International Potato Center

Blogs

What does financing for water resilience look like beyond COP30?

As severe water insecurities affect over 3.2 billion people, IWMI researchers point to localized private climate finance as a critical lever to closing funding gaps ...

January 22, 2026

Mohammed Nurul Islam, a 60-year-old farmer and micro Solar Irrigation Pump (SIP) user, sets up his portable solar pump in Goalia village, Barishal, Bangladesh. The micro SIP, provided to a farmers' group by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), aims to reduce reliance on diesel pumps and improve irrigation access for local farmers. Photo: Tanmoy Bhaduri/IWMI

Blogs

What the evidence says about solar irrigation and groundwater sustainability in Bangladesh

An IWMI study shows that solar irrigation expansion under fee-for-service model can happen without risk to groundwater sustainability ...

January 7, 2026

United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) Brazil, Amazonia. Graphic adapted from: Doers/Shutterstock

Features

The past, present and future of international commitments to water with COP30 in focus

IWMI reviews international water policy milestones, the urgent gaps that need attention and our own role in shaping the global water agenda ...

November 7, 2025

Female farmer with Solar panels that power irrigation pumps

News

Public-private partnerships scale solar-powered agriculture in Bangladesh

The second phase of SoLAR kicks off in Bangladesh, advancing the transition toward sustainable, carbon-neutral irrigation ...

November 3, 2025

News

Ethiopia and Kenya to benefit from solar-powered technologies

The Solar Energy for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) project in Ethiopia and Kenya aims to strengthen food systems and improve climate resilience ...

October 14, 2025

Women farmers in Kayumer Char, Gaibandha in northern Bangladesh, lead their cattle home against the backdrop of a movable micro-solar irrigation pump. Photo: Tanmoy Bhaduri / IWMI

News

Solarizing will make agriculture resilient in South Asia and East Africa

Supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the SoLAR project will build on proven models approaches to scale the use solar energy for agriculture through policy, finance ...

July 16, 2025

Partners of the Water Resilience Tracker (WRT) stand for a group photo at the end of a workshop at IWMI's Global Headquarters, 13 Feb. 2025. Photo: Pradeep Liyanage/IWMI.

Blogs

Partner collaboration on water resilience tool set to bridge science-to-policy interface

The Water Resilience Tracker will assist governments in Brazil, Egypt, Malawi and Nepal to strengthen national water governance and build climate resilience ...

March 14, 2025