Dr. Shailendra Rai is an interdisciplinary social science researcher and disaster management professional with expertise spanning social work, migration studies, environmental inclusion, climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction. He earned his PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, where his research explored how nature-based interventions can foster social inclusion, well-being, and community participation among migrants. His work contributes to growing international scholarship on the social and health benefits of nature in diverse societies.

Dr. Rai holds a Master's degree in Disaster Management from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and has worked with academic institutions, government agencies, and international organizations across India, Myanmar, and Finland. His professional experience includes engagements with the University of Jyvaskyla, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Myanmar, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM), and district-level administrative institutions in India.

His research interests include migration and integration, nature-based solutions, community resilience, climate change adaptation, participatory governance, disaster risk reduction, and social inclusion. He has conducted research on school resilience to floods, administrative responses to disasters, heatwave impacts on vulnerable populations, and democratic participation through local governance institutions.

Dr. Rai is committed to producing evidence-based research that informs policy and practice, promotes social equity, and strengthens resilient and inclusive communities in rapidly changing environmental and social contexts.

Publications:

• Rai, S., Kangas, K., Turtiainen, K., Stamm, I., & Tolvanen, A. (2023). Nature-based integration of migrants: A cross- national systematic literature review. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 88, 128089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128089
• Rai, S. (2026). Inclusive Nature: Exploring Human–Nature Interactions for Migrant Inclusion. JYU Dissertations. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-86-1305-3
• Uusitalo, M., Kangas, K., Shackelford, A., Budimir, M., Obeng, J., Rai, S., Mansueto, M., & Tolvanen, A. (2024). Towards the resilience of communities: Ecosocial social work as a producer of nature-based solutions. Natural Resources and Bioeconomy Studies, 110/2024
• Rai, S. (2025). Administrative Response to Cyclone Nilam: A Case Study of Tiruvallur District Administration. In Communication, Science, Technology, and Innovation in Disaster Risk Management. Springer
• Rai, S., & Bera, S. (2025). Impact of Climate Variability on Fishermen Livelihood: Evidence from the Western Coast of India. In Communication, Science, Technology, and Innovation in Disaster Risk Management. Springer
• Public datasets on migrant inclusion and nature-based interventions, University of Jyvaskyla, 2024
• Contributed to the development of the Training Module on Urban Risk Reduction and Resilience, Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM), Government of Gujarat (2019).