Dr. Deepa Pullanikkatil is the Climate Finance Advisor to the Government of Fiji, based at Office of the Prime Minister within the Climate Change Division. As the Climate Finance Advisor, she assists the Fiji government in accessing and managing climate finance, developing and implementing climate policies and strategies, and enhancing national capacities and coordination.

Starting off as a Civil engineer with an MBA from India, she later took a Masters in Environmental Management from the University of Free State in South Africa and shifted her career to the environmental field. She holds a PhD in Environmental Science from North West University, South Africa, and undertook a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship from Rhodes University, South Africa. Deepa has published two books and several journal articles and has over 20 years of work experience in the field of climate change and environmental management, spanning across multiple countries and sectors.

She also contributes to the global sustainability discourse and action, as an honorary co-director of a global research network 'Sustainable Futures Global' and is co-founder of a charity in Malawi called 'Abundance', that has adopted a village of 105 households and supports the community in income generating efforts. She is passionate about finding sustainable solutions for the most vulnerable communities and ecosystems.