Ankita Shah is the Executive Director of Bighnaharta Nepal. In addition, Shah serves as an Advisor
of Youth and International Relations to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Government of
Nepal. She holds a master's degree in Crisis Management from Tribhuvan University and has over
six years of experience in the development sector. Her key projects include contributing to
the development of the BIPAD system, an integrated Disaster Information Management
System owned by the Government of Nepal. Shah is also a certified Master Trainer of Trainers (ToT) for Fire Risk Reduction. She has
worked as a Management Information System (MIS) expert for the NWASH system under
the Ministry of Water Supply. Her research efforts include conducting a vulnerability and
risk assessment in the Langtang region, heavily affected by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, in
collaboration with ICIMOD and the Institute of Crisis Management Studies.
Further, she led a research initiative called ProjectWE, funded by Women Deliver, focusing on
policy gaps affecting women and the obstacles faced by marginalized women in accessing
their rights. Shah is an executive member of the Women in Nature Network, leading its
Nepal Chapter, and promotes urban forest restoration projects while mentoring young
women conservationists.
Shah also ventures into social entrepreneurship as the Managing Director of AGRA
Industries, a company that produces eco-friendly products from agro-waste, in collaboration
with indigenous communities. Her work spans various sectors, including climate change,
disaster management, cultural heritage preservation, youth empowerment, women's rights,
environmental conservation, and social entrepreneurship.