Ambika is a Principal Research Fellow with La Trobe Centre for Global Security. For over 20 years she has worked with government, international organisations and civil society on areas of water, climate, security and foreign policy and gender. She is the Co-Founder and Director of Kubernein Initiative, a research think tank in India and was previously a DFAT funded Maitri Fellow with La Trobe Asia.

As a member of the inaugural cohort of the Maitri Fellowship 2024, she focused on understanding the potential for Australia and India to work together in a more concentrated impactful manner within climate and security across the Pacific Region. She produced two policy briefs that were well received by both governments and also garnered interest from International stakeholders looking for greater engagement in the Indo-Pacific. She is currently engaging in similar research focused on triangular cooperation between Australia and likeminded partners looking to enhance climate and security cooperation in the region. She is also researching the links between climate and defence for future looking policy options in the Pacific. During her time at La Trobe University, she has bid for six grants with colleagues and external partners and has been successful with three.

Within the transboundary water and foreign policy space she has conducted and participated in field work across several transboundary river basins including Senegal, Tigris-Euphrates, Jordan, Rhine, Danube, Lower Mekong, Nile, Lake Victoria, Brahmaputra, and several within India. She has a proven track record in bridging the complexities and conflicting interests of transboundary water governance and climate, and foreign and security policy. During her five years travelling, conducting field work and working with diverse stakeholders, government and media in the MENA region, she was instrumental in creating a robust Blue Peace network that is now self-sustaining. Findings and analysis from her research across several river basins ultimately culminated in the establishment of a High Level Blue Peace Panel at the UN.

As the Director of Kubernein Initiative and in her other capacities, she continues to advise governments on aspects of transboundary water policy, raising the issue of the connection to peace and conflict within water resources. Her work in this space has also led to more research in the space of climate change, food security and air pollution, recognising the need for a more integrated approach to policy and development. She especially works with organisations and spaces that focus on traditional security to ensure that a resource lens is deepened.

She has written or contributed to over 50 policy and research reports, attended, spoken at and convened over 60 international policy dialogues and conferences, and writes regularly for traditional and new media across the world.

Networks:

• Member of a Global Food Security Task Force set up by the Munich Security Conference, FAO and several European Governments, 2024-2026
• Ombudsperson, Global Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative
• Member of the Global Governing Council, Women in Water Diplomacy Network
• Former Visiting Fellow, China-India Fellowship, Ashoka University, India 2020-2021

• Alum, Munich Young Leaders, 2011, Munich Security Conference
• Alum, ShangriLa Young Leaders Network, 2023, Shangri-La Dialogue
• Mentor, Girls Run the World Programme, Melbourne Chapter
• Mentor, Pratham Ti Fellowship for emerging women leaders in India