Dr. Sonali Senaratna Sellamuttu brings over 25 years of experience in strategic leadership, program and people management, resource mobilization, and partnership development in the international research, conservation, and development sectors. 

After more than a decade of working internationally, Sonali returned to Sri Lanka in 2021 and is passionate about supporting the country’s green growth transition. As the first Country Representative of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Sri Lanka, she established a fully operational country program. She is strongly committed to expanding GGGI’s portfolio in Sri Lanka to deliver scalable, impactful solutions aligned with national priorities. Sonali currently leads a national initiative on climate change adaptation, where GGGI is supporting the Government of Sri Lanka in advancing its National Adaptation Plan. 

Previously, Sonali was part of the leadership team at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center. She served as IWMI’s Regional Representative for Southeast Asia, and from 2010-2021 was based in Laos and Myanmar, leading interdisciplinary projects across Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa. She was also based with IUCN – the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in both Sri Lanka and the USA. 

Sonali has a strong track record at the international science-policy interface, having served as Co-Chair of the  Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service (IPBES) Asia-Pacific Regional Assessment (2015–2018), as IWMI’s representative on the Ramsar Convention’s Scientific and Technical Review Panel (2013–2015), and as a Contributing Author to the Water Chapter of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (2019–2021). 

Sonali’s expertise spans biodiversity, ecosystems, natural resource management, and climate resilience. She holds an MSc in Ecosystems Analysis and Governance from the University of Warwick (UK) and a PhD from Imperial College London (UK). She is a British Chevening Scholar.