Hamidullah Nikzad
London,England
Summary
Environmental and climate specialist with 5+ years’ experience in environmental governance, NGO programming, and sustainability research in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Expertise in environmental and social safeguards (EIA, ESIA, ESMP, RAP), climate risk analysis, and policy research. Proven ability to bridge science, policy, and implementation through work with government, private sector, and academia. Currently completing an MSc at Cornell University, focusing on climate–conflict dynamics and food security resilience.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work history
Administrator, Global Online Learning Program
Civic Ecology Lab, Cornell University
Ithaca, Tompkins
2024.08 - 2026.05
- Coordinated global over 10 online programs on sustainability and environmental education.
- Managed over 500 participants onboarding, communications, and digital workflows for diverse international cohorts every month.
- Supported over 100 instructors and stakeholders in delivering course content efficiently.
Teaching Assistant
Cornell University
Ithaca, Tompkins
2024.01 - 2026.05
- Supported teaching across five courses on climate change and environmental conservation.
- Guided over 350 students in applying concepts to real-world sustainability challenges.
- Facilitated interdisciplinary learning through labs, fieldwork, and capstone projects.
Graduate Research Assistant
Cornell University
Ithaca, Tompkins
2023.01 - 2024.01
- Conducted three quantitative and spatial research on climate variability, conflict, and food insecurity.
- Produced policy-relevant evidence for climate vulnerability and adaptation planning.
- Managed over 5 complex datasets and contributed to academic outputs.
Director, Environmental Protection Department
National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA)
Nilli, Daykundi
2019.07 - 2021.08
- Led environmental governance and implementation across 10 climate-vulnerable districts.
- Oversaw regulatory compliance, impact assessment, and environmental initiatives with local authorities and communities.
- Coordinated national climate mitigation and adaptation projects, including tree planting campaigns and UNEP-funded programs.
Environmental Planning Expert
NEPA
Kabul, Kabul
2016.12 - 2019.07
- Assisted in developing and monitoring over 500 environmental plans for national and provincial departments.
- Contributed to formulation of 10 national environmental policies, sustainability reporting, and alignment with SDGs.
- Supported Afghanistan’s state of the environment reporting process.
Environmental & Social Management Specialist
GREENZONE Group
Kabul , Kabul
2015.12 - 2016.12
- Delivered environmental and social safeguard assessments for 5 development projects.
- Prepared 5 ESMPs, RAPs, and contributed to ESIAs to ensure compliance with national and international standards.
Education
MSc - Natural Resources & the Environment
Cornell University
USACertificate - Cornell Climate Online Fellowship
Cornell University
USABSc - Agricultural Extension & Economics
Herat University
AfghanistanSkills
- Climate change adaptation & mitigation
- Environmental & social safeguards (EIA, ESIA, ESMP, RAP)
- Climate–conflict & food security analysis
- Environmental policy, governance & stakeholder engagement
- Quantitative analysis (Stata, Python, machine learning)
- GIS & spatial analysis (ArcGIS, QGIS)
- Survey design & data interpretation
- Public communication, leadership, and customer support
LANGUAGES
Dari (Native)
English (Fluent)
Pashto (Conversational)
Arabic (Reading/Writing)
REFERENCES
Available upon request.
AWARDS
Cornell Graduate School Fellowship (2025), Migration Graduate Fellowship (2025), NEPA Appreciation Award (2019)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Nikzad, H. (2020). Solid Waste Management in Kabul. In S. K. Ghosh (Ed.), Circular Economy: Global Perspective (pp. 43–65). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1052-6_3
- Nikzad, H. (2025). Political Instability and the Treadmill of Production: Sustainable Urban Processes in Kabul City. Sustainable Processes Connect. https://doi.org/10.69709/SusProc.2025.149300
- Additional manuscripts under review in Sustainability Journal (MDPI) and Springer Nature journals.
Timeline
Administrator, Global Online Learning Program
Civic Ecology Lab, Cornell University
2024.08 - 2026.05
Teaching Assistant
Cornell University
2024.01 - 2026.05
Graduate Research Assistant
Cornell University
2023.01 - 2024.01
Director, Environmental Protection Department
National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA)
2019.07 - 2021.08
Environmental Planning Expert
NEPA
2016.12 - 2019.07
Environmental & Social Management Specialist
GREENZONE Group
2015.12 - 2016.12
BSc - Agricultural Extension & Economics
Herat University
Certificate - Cornell Climate Online Fellowship
Cornell University
MSc - Natural Resources & the Environment
Cornell University