Chethika Gunasiri Wadumestrige Dona is a JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow jointly affiliated with ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ-IAS and the University of Tokyo.
In her current role as a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Gunasiri is exploring the potential of urban agriculture as a decentralized wastewater management strategy in underserved urban settlements. Her broader research interests include green spaces and human well-being, nature-based solutions for sustainable cities, urban water resource management, the Water-Energy-Food nexus and urban responses to climate change. She earned her doctoral degree in Sustainability Science from ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ-IAS, where she examined urban agriculture as a long-term strategy for open space management in developing countries.
Prior to joining ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ-IAS, Dr. Gunasiri worked for nearly a decade as an Environmental Scientist at the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation, where she specialized in urban wetland and water resource management. She played a key role in developing the Colombo Wetland Management Strategy and preparing Colombo¡¯s application for Ramsar Wetland City Accreditation. She also served as the South Asia Regional Representative of the Wetland Link International ¨C Asia Steering Group and was a member of the National Invasive Species Specialist Group of Sri Lanka. Additionally, she has served as a visiting lecturer at the University of Colombo.
Research Interests
- Cities and climate change
Green spaces and human well-being
Urban nature-based solutions
Water resilient cities