Isha Khare

Transitioning from SEO strategies to sustainability, Isha is currently pursuing Forestry Management at IIFM, driven by her longstanding interest in the environment and development. Born in Bhopal, a city with its own urban jungle, she grew up surrounded by nature and has always felt a strong connection to it. Her preference for a minimal lifestyle, including thinking twice before taking a plastic bag, reflects a mindset towards sustainability that has been with her for as long as she can remember.

Her training experience with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department further strengthened her interest in forests, communities, and conservation. Through field exposure to fringe villages, she gained an understanding of rural livelihoods, human-wildlife conflict, and the challenges faced by communities living around forest landscapes. The experience also introduced her to forest administration and its institutional structure, policy frameworks, and the potential of ecotourism as a means of linking conservation with livelihood generation.

Her summer internship with Waste Warriors Society gave her an opportunity to translate this interest into practical experience. She worked with the Nagar Nigam Dehradun on NCAP awareness initiatives conducted across educational institutions and public spaces, while also monitoring waste management practices and exploring different waste management strategies. She interacted with diverse stakeholders and worked closely with Self-Help Group women on textile waste, exploring how circular economy approaches can turn waste into livelihood opportunities. These experiences helped her understand waste management not as an isolated environmental issue, but as one closely connected to ecosystems, livelihoods, and resource use.

The internship further strengthened her interest in circular economy, sustainable development, and solutions that create tangible impact at the community level. It also helped her connect environmental challenges with broader questions of policy, livelihoods, and implementation. Her interest in energy and sustainability has continued to grow, and she has been selected for Agenda for Survival 3.0 by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the third edition of its online youth engagement programme focused on energy transition and access.

Alongside her field experience, Isha has developed skills in data analysis, research, stakeholder engagement, and tools such as OpenLCA, QGIS, Power BI, and MS Access. With a growing interest in the intersection of sustainability, environment, and livelihoods, she hopes to contribute to solutions that create meaningful environmental and social impact. She is particularly curious about how well-designed environmental interventions can strengthen ecosystems while creating better opportunities and outcomes for the people who depend on them.