Niharika Bandaru, MSc, BASc, ENV SP

At the Climate Risk Institute, Niharika Bandaru is the Community Lead for CanAdapt, working on content strategy and Practitioner Network development. CanAdapt is an innovative network that fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and collective resilience building among climate adaptation practitioners across Canada.

Niharika is a climate adaptation and sustainability professional with over six years of experience in public policy, municipal climate planning, and cross-sectoral engagement. Her work centres on advancing climate action through strategic alignment and designing clear, community-focused climate policy and interventions rooted in practical solutions and meaningful stakeholder collaboration.

Niharika currently serves as the Canadian Co-Chair of the Climate Change Adaptation Working Group for the International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes Water Quality Board and is the Founder and Executive Director of Windsor of Change, a nonprofit organization dedicated to climate education and public engagement in the Windsor-Essex region.

She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Windsor. She is also certified as an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP).

In her home in the Windsor-Essex area, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two cats, nurturing many hobbies, and exploring the region.