Foundations of Sustainable Development Practice

Omid Parhizkar received a PhD from the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2008. After graduation, Parhizkar worked for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as an environmental and climate change consultant for two years, where he honed his skills in sustainable development within the contexts of international development and climate change. Currently, Parhizkar is with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) at the World Bank in Washington, DC, where he manages a portfolio of over 1,200 projects. He collaborates with 18 implementing agencies, including Multilateral Development Banks and United Nations agencies globally. The GEF funds projects in developing countries focused on sustainable development, covering areas such as biodiversity, forest management, food security, energy policy, water resource management, urbanization, adaptation to climate change, and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Parhizkar was honored with the Outstanding PhD Candidate of the Year Award by the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment, recognizing his professional research and scientific achievements.