About Leah Beaulac

Leah Beaulac

Senior Manager, Climate Resilient Water Systems

Contact

Boston Office

Work

Areas of expertise:

Groundwater management; stakeholder engagement; food security; livelihoods and market linkages; natural disasters and climate change; conflict, migration and refugee response.

As senior manager of Climate Resilient Water Systems, Leah steers international efforts across India, China and Southern Africa as well as work in Kansas to strengthen sustainable water access. Her work focuses on translating data-driven insights across these diverse regions to ensure resilient groundwater supplies for both communities and ecosystems. Leah leads EDF’s groundwater programs in India and Kansas, working alongside local stakeholders to connect science to on-the-ground decision-making and ensure water access for future generations. She also advises EDF’s emerging China water program and leads the development of a water literacy curriculum in partnership with the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) across more than a dozen countries. 

Background

Leah joined Environmental Defense Fund in 2022, bringing nearly 10 years of experience working in humanitarian and agricultural contexts across drought- and flood-prone regions in Asia. She has worked internationally with three United Nations agencies and managed projects funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and USAID. At EDF, she champions producer-led groundwater initiatives globally, including in Kansas, India, and China, blending interdisciplinary, data-informed strategies and peer-to-peer learning. Leah is also a nature writer and classically trained pianist and keen to connect on how the arts can play a bigger role in the climate response. 

Education

M.S., Sustainable Water Management: Food, Water, and Energy, Tufts University, The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School

Master Certificate, Sustainability and Development, University of Michigan

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Minors in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic Language, Grand Valley State University, Frederik Meijer Honors College

Arabic language, Qasid Arabic Institute, Amman, Jordan & Center for International Learning, Muscat, Oman

Publications

Friedman, S., Roth, M.B. (2024, November). Empowering Producers and Policymakers to Maximize Sustainable Land Management and Enable Long-Term Sustainable Production of Nutritious Foods. State Department VACS Initiative Action Paper. Contributing Authors: Agboka, K.-M.J., Avoga, T., Beaulac, L., Buss, C., James, H., Masikati, P., Spielman, D., Landers, I., Martinez, G., Gandji, K. 

Langlois, B.K., Ismanto, A., Beaulac, L., Berry, K., Koch, M., Griffin, T., Coughlan de Perez, E., & Naumova, E.N. (2024, October). Recurrent Flooding and Household Food Access in Central Java, Indonesia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(10), 1370. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21101370. 

Langlois, B.K., Beaulac, L., Berry, K., Anyanwu, O., Simpson, R.B., Ismanto, A., Koch, M., Coughlan de Perez, E., Griffin, T., Naumova, E.N. (2023, May). Household Flood Severity and Migration Extent in Central Java: Analysis of the Indonesian Family Life Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(9), 5706. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20095706. 

Beaulac, L. (2017). The Impact of Syrian Migration on Water Demand in Northern Jordan. Grand Valley State University, Honors Project. 644. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/644 and Running Dry—Al-Noor Boston College Undergraduate Middle Eastern Studies Journal, Winter Issue 2017.