Ms Sirazoom Munira is a graduate from the Department of Geography, University of Durham, UK. She completed BSc in Environmental Science (2014) and MSc in Environmental Management (2015) from North South University (NSU). Ms. Munira is a recipient of the Chancellor’s Gold Medal, awarded by the Chancellor of North South University- President of the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh for her Masters and obtained the Summa Cum Laude award for her outstanding academic performance during Bachelors. Ms. Munira is a former Commonwealth Scholar in the UK and has graduated from the Risk Masters program (2016) with an overall Distinction. She is teaching ENV 107, Introduction to Environmental Science and ENV 203, Introduction to Bangladesh Geography at the Department of Environmental Science (ESM) at NSU since January 2017.
Ms Munira has acquired two years of research project experience by working on a number of community based climate change projects in Bangladesh. Her work area mainly encompass around climate hazard vulnerability assessment in eco-vulnerable zones in Bangladesh, water security and poverty inter-linkages in urban slums and in climate finance. Ms Munira is currently working on the DFID supported Climate Finance Transparency Mechanism (CFTM) project as Research Fellow, based at Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS). In the project, she is looking after communication and documentation of knowledge materials. She has also contributed to the Regional Development Dialogue (RDD) Volume 36 under the UN Center for Regional Development as a Commentator. Her area of interest lies broadly in the sector of climate change adaptation and climate finance and plans to pursue a doctorate degree in this academic field.  Ms Munira exhibits strong interest in the arts and music as her extracurricular pursuit.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AT BCAS

• Assigned to work for the Climate Finance Transparency Mechanism (CFTM) Project as Research Fellow [Communication and Documentation]
• Developing grant proposals  
• Report writing (Contributed to editing the Third National Communications, project reports etc.)
• Research and publications- Drafting and editing knowledge products- policy briefs, journal articles and newspaper articles; currently working on a book chapter on coastal salinity in Bangladesh
• Organizing workshops and conferences- Supported CFTM team at the Int’l Conference on Climate Finance (ICCF) 2018, SRMGI Dhaka Workshop (2017) and a number of workshops under the CFTM project

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Climate change adaptation, climate finance governance, environmental sustainability, gender and climate change, water security and poverty linkage in light of changing climate, community based research.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

MSc. Risk (Formerly: Risk & Environmental Hazards)
Graduated in September 2016
Department of Geography, Durham University, UK | Graduate with Distinction

MSc. Environmental Management
Graduated in September 2015
North South University (NSU), Dhaka, Bangladesh | CGPA 4.0/4.0

BSc. Environmental Science.
Graduated in April 2014
North South University (NSU), Dhaka, Bangladesh | CGPA 3.82/4.0

A Level. Completed in June 2009.
Scholastica, Dhaka, Bangladesh

O Level. Completed in June 2007
Scholastica, Dhaka, Bangladesh

AWARDS AND HONORS

• Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC), 2015
• Chancellor’s Gold Medal, MSc, Environmental Management,19th Convocation, NSU, 2015
• Summa Cum Laude Award, BSc, Environmental Science, 18th Convocation, NSU, 2014
• Honors, O/A levels, Scholastica, 2005-2009
• Daily Star Merit Award, 2007

PREVIOUS ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

• Adjunct Lecturer, Environmental Science and Management (ESM), North South University (NSU), January 2017 – present [Conducting two (2) courses (35 students each) on Environmental Science (ENV 107) and Introduction to Bangladesh Geography (ENV 203) to Undergraduate students]

• Research Assistant, NSU funded project ‘Is there any difference between Climate Finance and Overseas Development Assistance?’, March 2017 – January 2018 | Supervisor: Dr. Mizan R. Khan

• Report writer, Baseline study on “Strengthen civil society and public institutions to address combating gender based violence and build community resilience to adapt climate change impacts”, by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS)

• Research Assistant, NSU funded “Anaerobic Digestion of Sludge from Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) to assess Biological Methane Potential (BMP)”. August 2013- Sept 2014

• Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, ESM, North South University. March 2012 to Dec 2013

• Postgraduate International Officer, Postgraduate Executive Committee, College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham University, Nov 15- Sept 16

• Member of the Staff-Student Consultative Committee (SSCC), Department of Geography, Durham University, October 2015- October 2016

• Module Content Developer and Report Writer, Training on Climate Finance Mechanisms and Instruments for Bangladeshi entities to access GCF by Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS) in collaboration with the National Designated Authority Secretariat to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and GIZ Bangladesh

TRAININGS COMPLETED

• ‘Lessons for resilient flood risk management from comparing the Netherlands and Bangladesh’ from 10-18 February 2018 at Dordrecht, the Netherlands by UNESCO-IHE and Wageningen University

• Completed training on Grant Proposal Development and Writing, NSU Global Health Institute (NGHI), Feb- April 2017

• Completed workshops/field trips on flood management of River Wear, County Durham, UK

• HBV Light software through course ‘Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Hazards’ to predict flood using climate change indicators

• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Project Development in Power and Energy Sector. Certification given by Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh and Rahimafrooz, during 18-19 November 2012 at PKSF, Agargaon, Dhaka

THESIS COMPLETED:

MSc, Dept. of Geography, Durham University, UK (Distinction): “Understanding the Relationship between Water Security and Poverty: The Case for Urban Slums in Dhaka” | Supervisor: Dr. David Milledge, Assistant Professor and Dr Louise Bracken, Professor, Deparment of Geography, Durham University, UK

MSc., Environmental Management, NSU, Bangladesh: “Comparative Analysis of Global Climate Finance: Is Bangladesh Receiving its Fair Share?” | Supervisor: Dr. Mizan R Khan, Professor, Env Sci. & Mgt Department, NSU

BSC, Environmental Science, NSU, Bangladesh: “Industrial Wastewater Treatment via Anaerobic Digestion to Estimate its Biological Methane Potential” Supervisor: Dr. Hassan Mahmud, Professor, Env Sci. & Mgt Department, NSU

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:  
Rabbani, M. G., Rahman, S. H., & Munira, S. (2017). Prospects of pond ecosystems as resource base towards community based adaptation (CBA) to climate change in coastal region of Bangladesh. Journal of Water and Climate Change, jwc2017047.

Munira, S. (2017). Biodiversity and Climate Change. Environment and Climate Action. Retrieved from The Daily Star : http://www.thedailystar.net/environment-and-climate-action/biodiversity-and-climate-change-1367119

Munira, S. (2013). Environmental Ethics. Green Reflections (13). North South University [Printed]

INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS

• Observer, 23rd United Nations Conference of Parties (COP23), 6-17 November, Bonn, Germany

• Participant, 13th Conference of Youth (COY13), 2-4 November 2017, Bonn, Germany

• Participant, SRMGI Global Forum and Climate Geoengineering Conference 2017, Berlin 8-12 October 2017
• -Presented a poster on Prospects of Solar Geoengineering in Bangladesh
• -Presented on the role of Education and Awareness in Climate Geoengineering

• Commonwealth Delegate, CommonTies: Leading through Public Service, Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London, 21 October 2016

• Judge, The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, The Royal Commonwealth Society’16

• Judge, Science Congress 2017, Bangladesh Freedom Federation and SPSB, December 2017, Dhaka, Bangladesh

• Observer, Launch of 2016 Global Youth Development Index, Australia House, Strand, London, 21 Oct 2016

• Delegate, Water Security 2015 Conference, University of Oxford, UK. 9-11 December 2015

• Delegate, Meeting on ‘‘My Brother’s Keeper Initiative by President Barack Obama”, The White House Eisenhower Building, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C. October 18, 2014

• Organizer and MC, International Conference on Climate Finance (ICCF), 27-28 January 2018, BICC, Dhaka

• Participant, The Gobeshona Conference on Research on Climate Change in Bangladesh, organized by ICCCAD and IUB, 8-11 January 2015

• Intern, Daily Star, Leading National Daily in Bangladesh. Worked on the Pilot Project ‘Daily Star-HSBC Junior Climate Champions 2013’. June-Sept 2013

• Project Presenter, Meeting on Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP), at The World Bank, Agargaon, Dhaka, May 20, 2013

• GIZ Consultant, Promotion of Social and Environmental Standard in Industries on the International World Environment Day, Bangladesh International China Conference (BICC), Dhaka, 5-7 May 2012.

• Workshop Facilitator, Water Based Index for Agriculture, by Asian Development Bank, ADB on July 2012

• Team Leader, First National Environment Olympiad 2012, jointly organized by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) and NSU, North South University- Dhaka, July 2012

• Environment Team Coordinator, South Asian Youth Society (SAYS), Bangladesh. Sept 2012 – July 2013

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• International Affairs Officer, Office of External Affairs (OEA), NSU. Feb 2015 to August 2015
• Examination Invigilator, British Council, Dhaka. January 2015 to September 2015

MEMBERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

-     Member, Commonwealth Youth Climate Network (CYCN), November 2017 to present

-     Environment Team Coordinator, South Asian Youth Society (SAYS), Bangladesh. Sept 2012 to July 2013