Karunya Subramanian is an intern at WRI, currently dedicated to the UrbanShift Program—a global partnership involving UNEP, WRI, ICLEI, and C40 Cities, with financial backing from the GEF. Her role revolves around bolstering expertise, facilitating information exchange, and championing climate leadership within cities situated in the global South. Her primary focus lies in contributing to the City Academy and conducting research on topics related to Integrated Urban Planning and Nature-based Solutions.
Prior to her tenure at WRI, Karunya worked as an urban planner with the United Nations Habitat and the Greater Cities Commission in Sydney. In these roles, she actively participated in projects that encompassed policy development, strategic planning document creation, and the alignment of cross-governmental collaboration. Her contributions played a pivotal role in the realization of cities' strategic visions and sustainable development objectives.
Karunya holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from BMS College of Engineering, along with a Master's degree in Urban Planning from the University of Sydney and a Master's degree in Urban Design from Georgia Tech.
