Dr. Jagmohan Sharma

Dr. Jagmohan Sharma is an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, environmental policy expert and climate researcher with over three decades of experience in forest governance, biodiversity conservation, climate change and environmental management. A 1990-batch officer of the Karnataka cadre, he has held senior leadership positions including Director of the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) and Director General of the Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), Government of Karnataka. His career has combined field-based forest administration with policy, institutional leadership and environmental research.

His professional and research interests span forest policy, wildlife conservation, climate vulnerability, ecological economics, sustainable development and environmental governance. His field experience includes managing protected forest landscapes, addressing challenges related to water availability and ecological regeneration, and navigating the complex relationship between forest conservation and communities living within forest areas. He has contributed to environmental policy and capacity building at both state and national levels, while also engaging with emerging approaches to climate resilience and sustainable natural resource management.

Dr. Sharma holds a technical background in Chemistry from IIT Kanpur and a postgraduate qualification in Technology and Polymers. His transition from technical industry to the Indian Forest Service has shaped a career that brings together scientific training, field experience and public administration in the management of forests and natural ecosystems.

Past Affiliations:

• Director, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Government of India
• Director General, Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), Government of Karnataka
• Indian Forest Service (Karnataka Cadre)
• Joint Director (Wildlife), Government of India
• Joint Director, National Zoological Park (Delhi Zoo)
• Assistant Inspector General of Forests (Environment & Afforestation Programme), Government of India

Educational Qualifications:

• Master of Management Studies (Public Policy), Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (2021)
• Ph.D. in Climate Change and Forest Vulnerability Assessment, Indian Institute of Science (2015)
• M.Sc. in Forest Ecology and Environment, The University of Edinburgh (2007)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Wildlife Science and Management, Wildlife Institute of India (2000)
• M.Sc. in Forestry, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (1992)M.Tech. in Rubber Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (1989)
• M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (1987)
• B.Sc. in Mathematics and Chemistry, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (1984)

Selected Publications

• Sharma, J., Chaturvedi, R. K., Bala, G., & Ravindranath, N. H. (2013). Challenges in vulnerability assessment of forests under climate change. Carbon Management, 4(4), 403–411. https://doi.org/10.4155/cmt.13.35Sharma, J. (2024). Landscape carrying capacity assessment framework for sustainable development (Discussion Paper No. 2024/1). Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA). https://www.ignfa.gov.in/publications/landscape-carrying-capacity-assessment-framework-for-sustain-dev.pdf