Abha Joshi-Ghani heads the Urban Development and Local Government Unit in the Finance, Economics and Urban Development Department (FEU). She oversees the World Bank's work on Urban Policy and the Knowledge and Learning practice of the Bank in the Urban Sector. The Unit provides advisory services to the Bank’s regional departments and clients on key urban themes such as urban housing and land, urban planning, management and municipal finance, urban environment, cities and climate change, urban poverty, cultural heritage and sustainable tourism development and local and city economic development. She also led the development of the World Bank's new Urban Strategy (2009).

Ms. Joshi-Ghani joined the World Bank in 1992 and has worked primarily on infrastructure finance and urban development. Her experience in the Bank includes countries in Africa, South and East Asia and Middle East and North Africa. She holds an M.Phil from Oxford University (GB) and an MA in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University (IN).

Prior to joining the Bank Abha Joshi-Ghani worked with a consulting firm in London and with the Reserve Bank of India.