Chetan Kumar

Dr. Chetan Kumar is a global expert in forest and biodiversity conservation with over 27 years of experience designing and leading high-impact programs across forestry, drylands, grasslands and landscape restoration. Currently serving as the Global Head of the Forest and Grasslands Team at IUCN, he drives strategy, science-policy alignment and partnerships to address pressing challenges of land degradation and drought resilience.

His previous roles include senior leadership positions within IUCN, UNEP-WCMC, DFID, CIFOR and TERI, where he has led multi-million-dollar portfolios, built strategic alliances and contributed to global initiatives like the Bonn Challenge. Dr. Kumar is also widely published, with over 40 contributions to peer-reviewed journals and global policy platforms. He holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Cambridge and serves on advisory boards of several international scientific networks.