About DIRT
# About DIRT
01 / Who we are
Listening first, then acting
DIRT Initiative works at the intersection of water, security, diplomacy and environmental resilience through two programmes: Water & Security and EarthUPP.
Our purpose is to connect communities and young people with researchers, policymakers, diplomats and institutions whose decisions shape their lives. We work to turn local knowledge into research, policy, partnerships and action, while ensuring that communities help define the challenges and responses that affect them.
A principle we keep
DIRT does not speak on behalf of communities.
Communities speak for themselves. We listen, connect, and help turn local knowledge into research, policy, partnerships and action, with the people who hold that knowledge, never in their place.
02 / What guides us
What DIRT stands for
Diplomacy
Building connections between communities, researchers and decision-makers to support dialogue and cooperation.
Inclusion
Making space for local knowledge, lived experience and perspectives that are often overlooked.
Resilience
Exploring how communities and institutions respond to environmental pressures, water insecurity and shared challenges.
Transformation
Connecting ideas, evidence and collaboration to practical action and lasting change.
03 / The people behind DIRT
Our team
Ved Shivakumar
Programme Lead
Ved completed an MSc in International Public Policy at UCL, specialising in development, conflict and international law, and climate change. His work brings together water security, environmental governance and diplomacy, connecting grassroots perspectives with research, policy and international dialogue.
Sophie Ball
Research Lead
Sophie is a King's College London graduate in International Relations. She leads DIRT's research work, contributing to evidence-based analysis on water security, environmental resilience and diplomacy.
Jadon Bristow
DIRT Team
Jadon completed an MSc in International Public Policy at UCL. His academic background in public policy informs DIRT's work connecting communities, institutions and decision-makers on shared environmental and security challenges.