Mehjabeen Abidi-Habib

Mehjabeen Abidi-Habib "is research scholar in human ecology at Government College University Lahore. Based in Pakistan, she has been a development practioner specializing in community development and natural resource management for 20 years. She is currently engaged in a PhD on environmental management as well as researching a forthcoming book, 'Water in the Wilderness: People, Biodiversity and Wetlands in Pakistan'with assistance from the Heinrich Boll Foundation.

"With an early professional foundation rooted in field work with poor community in remote areas of Pakistan, Ms Abidi-Habib has then worked for the UN in Pakistan for the past seven years - most recently managing the Global Environment Facility's Small Grants Program in the province of Punjab. Before this, she worked for UNICEF as Program Officer for Women and Child Rights. In the early part of her career she has worked with the Aga Khan Rural Support Program, GTZ (The German Agency for Technical Cooperation) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Now she is preparing to enter the academic world and bring her practical experience to the research field in Pakistan.

"She was appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of LEAD International in 2008 and is engaged in several other honorary trustee positions with local and regional organizations.

"Ms Abidi Habib has a master's degree in Applied Plant Sciences from Imperial College London. She is the editor of 'Green Pioneers', published by the UN Development Program. The book is a compilation of 20 profiles of environment and development innovators in Pakistan. She is a LEAD Fellow."

• Member, Global Leadership Network