Dr. Abdur Rub

Senior Consultant - Development Economics & Climate Policy

Abdur Rub is a Senior Economist with Manāra Policy & Practice, specializing in food security, climate change economics, and evidence-based development policy across South Asia. With over a decade of experience spanning international organizations, bilateral programs, and research institutions, he brings distinctive expertise in translating rigorous quantitative analysis into actionable policy guidance for complex, resource-constrained environments. Abdur currently works with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), contributing to flagship analytical initiatives supporting agrifood systems transformation, climate resilience, and food security across the Asia Pacific region. His work informs national policy dialogue, UN programming frameworks, and investment prioritization decisions at regional and country levels. Previously, he led major monitoring, evaluation, and learning assignments for USAID and UNICEF, designing and implementing evaluation frameworks for education, health, governance, and social protection programs in fragile contexts. His earlier work combined technical rigor with operational understanding, working at the boundary between analytical depth and implementation realities in institutional settings where both matter. His expertise spans climate econometrics, geospatial and satellite data analysis, applied microeconomic modeling, and program evaluation. He specializes in examining how climate volatility affects agricultural productivity and food systems, using high-resolution satellite imagery combined with household survey data to generate policy-relevant insights. Abdur is particularly skilled at making complex technical analysis accessible to non-technical audiences, translating econometric findings into clear policy recommendations that decision-makers can actually use. His work bridges the gap between what the data says and what institutions can realistically do with that knowledge given political economy constraints and capacity limitations. Abdur holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University, where his research examined climate change impacts on crop productivity using satellite remote sensing and microeconomic modeling, and a Master's degree in Economic Development from the University of Glasgow. At Manāra, he leads quantitative analysis for policy research, advises on monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and ensures analytical work remains grounded in implementation realities rather than theoretical abstraction. He is drawn to work that supports thoughtful decision-making under uncertainty and that makes evidence useful when clarity is limited and stakes are high. Beyond his professional work, Abdur draws intellectual energy from literature, poetry, and classical music, and maintains sustained interest in examining how social and cultural values shape economic choices. He believes open conversation and principled disagreement are essential to testing ideas and refining judgment, and brings this sensibility to collaborative analytical work.