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Binita Kakati

@binitakakati

Social inclusion researcher at OSM Northeast and Balipara Foundation, who led disaster-risk mapping and digital-skills programs for indigenous youth.

France

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What I'm looking for

I'm seeking to bring my social-inclusion expertise to the World Bank's Social Sustainability and Inclusion practice, applying rigorous analysis to development operations in fragile, resource-contested, and post-conflict settings.

At OSM Northeast / Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, I designed and led a donor-funded disaster-risk mapping and digital-skills program for indigenous and rural youth across Assam. I coordinated a multidisciplinary GIS and training team and built delivery partnerships with community leaders, colleges, and universities.

At Balipara Foundation, I led the design and implementation of the Rural Futures (RuFu) Index, a socio-economic assessment tool. I coordinated survey and focus-group data collection that informed programming reaching beneficiaries, and monitored funded-program impact.

At Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, I conducted ethnographic and mixed-methods fieldwork on land dispossession, extractive-industry conflict, and customary governance among Mising and Bodo communities in Assam. My research appears in publications including Vanishing Landscapes and is forthcoming as a Springer Nature monograph; I hold a PhD in Global and Area Studies.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Doctoral Researcher

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Jan 2018 - Dec 2024 (6 years 11 months)

Conducted 18+ months of ethnographic and mixed-methods fieldwork on land dispossession, extractive-industry conflict and customary governance among Mising and Bodo communities in Assam. Presented research at LSE, University of Manchester, and the Development Studies Association of Australia.

Ethnographic Studies Mixed Methods Research Fieldwork Qualitative Analysis Academic Writing

Grant Awardee & Team Lead

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team

Jan 2022 - Dec 2023 (1 year 11 months)

Designed and led a donor-funded disaster-risk mapping and digital-skills program for indigenous and rural youth across Assam, coordinating a multidisciplinary GIS and training team. Built delivery partnerships with community leaders, colleges and universities across multiple districts.

GIS OpenStreetMap Project Management Training Partnership Building

Human Ecologist (Research & Program)

Balipara Foundation

Jan 2020 - May 2023 (3 years 4 months)

Led design and implementation of the Rural Futures (RuFu) Index, a socio-economic assessment tool, coordinating survey and focus-group data collection informing programming reaching 1,000+ beneficiaries. Monitored and evaluated funded-program impact and authored donor reports and proposals.

Research Design Survey Design Focus Groups Monitoring and Evaluation Donor Reporting Proposal Writing

Research Associate

Northeastern Social Research Centre

Jan 2015 - Dec 2016 (1 year 11 months)

Co-authored a 7-state comparative study of customary tribal law and gender for a Routledge volume (2017). Delivered survey-based impact assessments for state-government child-welfare programs in Assam and Meghalaya.

Comparative Research Survey Design Impact Assessments Report Writing