Manu Gupta

Manu Gupta is Co-Founder of SEEDS, a not-for profit organisation that enables community resilience through practical solutions in the areas of disaster readiness, response and rehabilitation. He has 26 years of experience in the sector spanning national and regional advocacy, mobilisation of community-led efforts in recovery and risk reduction, climate change adaptation and emerging issues such as humanitarian partnerships and accountability. Manu has worked with a wide spectrum of communities across Asia. In recognition of his tireless efforts, he has been recently elected as an Ashoka Fellow. Manu sits on the boards of nine global and regional organisations, including the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network, an active network of NGOs from over 20 countries in Asia. He is part of the Leadership Council of NEAR, a global network of local and national NGOs who have come together in an attempt to restructure the global response to economic, human and environmental threats. He is also a member of the Global Steering Committee for UNISDR on the making Cities Resilient campaign. At the national level, Manu is co-founder of the Alliance for Adoption & Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Owner Driven Reconstruction Collaborative in India. He has served on various national committees of the Government of India. Manu has been at the forefront of championing and advocating for citizen--led initiatives; building the basis for greater accountability through partnerships between governments and civil society. Manu holds degrees in Physical Planning and Urban Planning, and a doctorate in community-based disaster management.