Sophie Ibbotson is a consultant, researcher, and Chairman of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, with 15 years of experience advising national governments, IFIs, and the private sector in fragile states and emerging markets. Her focus areas are crisis and resilience, water security, governance, and economic development, in particular in Afghanistan and Central Asia. At the Changing Character of War Centre, Sophie is researching the modelling of water conflict risks and the capacity of policy makers to mitigate water conflict.

Sophie read Oriental Studies at Clare College, Cambridge, and has an MA-MSc from the London School of Business and Finance. She is on the editorial board of the Asian Affairs journal, has published articles in the Financial Times, National Geographic, and The Telegraph, and is the author of six books. Her next book, Oxus, is a study of water security and related issues along the Amu Darya.