Dr. Shyamala Mani, having a PhD & MPhil in Environmental Science from SES, JNU, MSc.Microbiology from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai and an MPH from University of California, Berkeley is working as Sr. Advisor, WASH and Waste Management, Centre for Chronic Diseases Control (CCDC) PHFI since 2018. She retired as Professor from the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), New Delhi in 2017, was Team Leader, Swachh Bharat Mission 1.0 capacity building project until 2020. She is currently Advisor and Consultant to several organizations like Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, IPSOS, Odisha Development Management Programme (ODMP), RNisarg Foundation and Trustee of POWHER, Niraamay Associates, EcoChakra Abhiyan and Saurabha. She is also an empanelled EIA consultant expert in Solid waste and Biomedical waste by QCI. She has been in the MoEFCC’s committees for the formulation of Biomedical Waste, Plastic Waste, Municipal Solid waste, E waste and Hazardous waste during their initial phases and during their updation in 2016 and amendments thereof. She has over 50 publications and was Editor of Urban India, NIUA’s journal for two years. She has won the UNCHS Global 100 award for community-based waste management projects in 1999, Plasticon India award for the most innovative plastic recycling technology in 2005, Paryavaran Puraskar (institutional) for contribution to Biomedical waste management in India in 2001 and Dr. Abdul Kalam Gold Medal Award by GERC, Chennai in 2016. Along with colleagues and experts in developing countries in South America, Africa and Asia, she wrote in and edited a book ‘Municipal Solid Waste Management Energy Conversion in Developing Countries – Technologies, Best Practices, Challenges and Policy’ published by Elsevier in 2020. She is also the recipient of the National Science Talent scholarship of NCERT, ICAR junior fellowship in Agricultural Microbiology and Fogarty International scholarship in Environmental Health.