Rajan Kotru is a research and development specialist with over 29 years of experience in conceptualizing, planning, managing, monitoring, and evaluating research and development cooperation projects in forest ecosystem dynamics, sustainable natural resource and watershed management, incentive-based mechanisms (incl. REDD), decentralized governance, livelihoods promotion, and institution building. He is deeply knowledgeable on conservation and development issues and innovative solutions. Dr. Kotru has delivered impact-oriented long and short-term assignments in Germany, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, China, and India (e.g. for WB, DFID, GIZ, KfW). He has designed several transboundary conservation and development initiatives and is currently heading the pioneering regional program of ICIMOD on "Transboundary Landscapes," which is being implemented in 8 Hindu Kush Himalayan countries. He is also implementing the flagship transboundary initiative of "Kailash Sacred Landscape" between China, India and Nepal. He is member of some prominent regional and global fora separate from his advisory services to numerous South Asian NGOs and national state policy fora. He is an alumnus of Daimler-Benz Foundation, Germany. He holds a Ph.D. in forest management and silviculture, and a master's of forestry sciences from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.