Geeta Batra, an esteemed economist hailing from India, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the Director of the Independent Evaluation Office of the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility (GEF). Born in New Delhi, Batra, aged 57, is the first woman from a developing nation to assume this prestigious role.
Batra’s unanimous approval during the 66th GEF Council Meeting in Washington on Feb 9 came after her tenure as the Chief Evaluator & Deputy Director for Evaluation at the GEF’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), which is associated with the World Bank.
Batra has outlined her key priorities, underscoring the importance of providing robust evaluative evidence on GEF’s results and performance, leading the GEF IEO in environmental evaluation efforts, and enhancing the skills of IEO teams.
Furthermore, her responsibilities will entail establishing partnerships with multilateral and bilateral agencies, foundations, and networks, while also disseminating knowledge on effective environmental strategies.
Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the GEF has played a significant role in the environmental sector by offering substantial grants and co-financing for projects addressing global environmental challenges.
Batra’s appointment represents a significant achievement, showcasing her wealth of experience and dedication to environmental evaluation.
Batra’s educational journey took her from Villa Theresa High School in Mumbai to completing her Economics degree at Stella Maris College in Chennai, followed by an MBA in Finance from NMIMS in Mumbai. She later pursued a PhD in the US.
After holding various positions, including Senior Manager, Risk, at American Express, and serving at the World Bank’s Private Sector Development Department, Batra joined the GEF’s IEO in 2015.
Batra has co-authored books and articles, overseen more than 100 evaluations, and is passionate about development issues, particularly in promoting practical approaches in monitoring and evaluation for better outcomes.
She lives in Northern Virginia with her spouse Prakash and their daughter Roshini. In her leisure time, Batra enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking in national parks, reading historical biographies, and exploring different cuisines, with a special fondness for Indian delicacies like pav-bhaji, panipuri, and chhole bhature.
