Anand Datla
  • Ph.D. Student

Biography

Anand Datla is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. He is an experienced development practitioner and a management consultant. His research explores nature-society relationships, particularly among rural communities. Anand is interested in teasing out the various dimensions underlying these relationships and how they intersect to inform and shape the experiences of rural women in the context of their daily interactions with water resources. Among other things, he seeks to study how education, both formal and informal, might influence these experiences. Anand's interdisciplinary approach draws upon the fields of political ecology, human geography, and cultural anthropology to gain an understanding of contemporary discourse, policy, and practice.

With a background in industrial engineering and an MBA, Anand brings an interdisciplinary approach to his work. He also holds an MSc from the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft. Over the course of his impressive career spanning more than two decades, Anand has served as a management consultant and development professional, working with prominent organizations such as Ernst & Young, Deloitte, Capgemini, and the Tata Trusts.

As a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a Lead Auditor for ISO 27001, he has expertise in cybersecurity and enterprise IT strategy.

Research Interests

  • Master’s Thesis, 2021 - Echoes of the Okavango Delta – Do We Hear the Voices of the People?
  • Field Studies, 2023 – Field research to understand key issues surrounding gender and development in Kalahandi, Odisha, and Atpadi, Maharashtra in India

Educational Background

  • 2021 Masters of Science in Water Governance, UNESCO Delft Institute for Water Education
  • 2019 Strategic Non-Profit Management, Harvard Business School
  • 2015 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP, ISC2)
  • 2014 ISO 27001 Lead Auditor
  • 1999 Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications, JNNYC
  • 1996 Masters in Business Administration, Sri Sathya Sai University
  • 1993 Bachelors in Engineering (Industrial Engineering), University of Mysore

Awards & Honors

  • 2023 Glasscock Graduate Research Fellow
  • 2019 Aid & Development Scholarship for Graduate Education
  • 2019 Aspire Fellow
  • 2018 Acumen Fellow

Selected Publications

    • Datla, A.; Schmeier, S.; Cuadrado-Quesada, G. and Mothobi, R. 2023. Echoes of the Okavango Delta – Does the voice of the people matter? Water Alternatives 16(3): 821-848

    • Datla, A. (2023, July 24). Lessons India can learn from Maharashtra’s unique Tembhu Lift Irrigation Project. The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-commentary/lessons-india-can-learn-from-maharashtras-unique-tembhu-lift-irrigation-project/articleshow/102088151.cms 

    • Datla, A. (2023, September 14). Fencing Traditions: Cattle Grazing in Kalahandi. India Development Review. https://idronline.org/ground-up-stories/fencing-traditions-cattle-grazing-in-kalahandi/

    • Datla, A. (2021). Okavango River Basin – Achieving RBO Goals Adapting the Provisions of SADC Protocol & UN Watercourses Convention, Water Security and Climate Change Conference, Hanoi, March 2021. Technische Hochschule Köln