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Education:
Drew University: B.A., Biology
University of Maryland: M.S., Conservation Biology and Sustainable DevelopmentSonal Pandya works to design and develop CI's "Conservation Carbon" projects, which will offset emissions of carbon dioxide through the restoration and protection of threatened forest ecosystems of high biodiversity value. The projects deliver a "triple benefit" by protecting endangered species from extinction, conserving habitats that deliver critical ecosystem services such as soil conservation and water purification, and providing economic alternatives to local communities through project employment and carbon service revenues. Activities of the program include protection of threatened native forests, reforestation of degraded lands, agroforestry and other land-use-change and forestry activities. Previously, Sonal worked with The Nature Conservancy, where she designed a portfolio of carbon offset projects in Latin America and Asia and managed projects developed with the Department of Energy. She also worked to build capacity for developing countries seeking to develop projects and influence policy related to the Kyoto Protocol. Sonal also specializes in timber certification issues and has worked with a variety of environmental NGOs and research institutions, including Rainforest Alliance (SmartWood), the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Smithsonian Institution. She is fluent in Spanish and Gujarati, an Indian dialect.
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© CI, Frank Stewart
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