Vijay Jagannathan, Secretary-General of CityNet and Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute (WRI) Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, is a prominent figure shaping sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. With a robust portfolio of responsibilities, he leads an association of over 140 urban stakeholders dedicated to sustainability. Simultaneously, he serves as an adjunct professor at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University. His leadership extends to spearheading city-level initiatives within CityNet, fostering low-carbon development among its diverse members.
He actively supports the WRI Beijing Office in various initiatives focused on promoting low-carbon resilient development. Before his current roles, Vijay Jagannathan held key positions at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., for 24 years, contributing significantly to the infrastructure, water management, and environmental sectors. Notably, he served as the sector manager for infrastructure in the East Asia and Pacific region, overseeing an annual lending programme of approximately USD 5 billion.
His extensive experience includes advisory roles for the Chengdu Municipal Government and the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, offering valuable insights into urban development. Before joining the World Bank, he spent a decade in the Indian Administrative Service, where he served as Secretary of the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority, responsible for urban development programmes in one of the world’s largest cities.
As an economist with a PhD from Boston University, Vijay Jagannathan’s influential research, particularly on informal markets for the poor, was published by Oxford University Press and recognized as one of the “Outstanding Academic Books of the Year” by the American Library Association. His expertise spans water, urban development, agriculture, and environmental issues, making him a respected leader in the field.