Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, PhD, Addis Ababa University, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Disaster Risk Management and Development at the Center for Food Security Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University. Desalegn holds a PhD degree in Geography. Desalegn serves as the Deputy Editor of the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management. He has published more than 70 publications including books, book chapters, and referred journal articles. His principal areas of research interest include climate change vulnerability, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation and related issues, indigenous weather forecasting, integrated natural resources rehabilitation and management, livelihoods and food security nexus, among others. He has been actively involved in climate resilience and integrated natural resources rehabilitation and disaster risk management research, and development interventions to improve food security.
Birgit Kemmerling, PhD, BICC Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies gGmbH, Germany
Birgit Kemmerling, PhD, is a senior researcher at Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies in Germany. She holds a PhD in geography. For the past fifteen years, she has been researching and working in various countries in the MENA region and sub-Saharan Africa. Her research and publications focus on understanding the – often conflictive – relations between humans and the environment and its implications for practitioners in development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. Currently, Birgit works on the links between food insecurity and violent conflict and explores the opportunities and risks to tackle multiple crises by improving the links between humanitarian assistance, development cooperation and peacebuilding (HDP Nexus).
Rebecca Pietrelli, PhD, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
Rebecca Pietrelli, PhD, an Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer at the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, has combined field experiences in Sub-Sahara Africa and the Middle East with economic and impact evaluation analyses to inform and evaluate programs. She has extensive knowledge in designing surveys and conducting analyses related to food security and resilience in crises and emergency contexts. Her journal articles focus on migration, resilience, food security, vulnerability to poverty, and conflict. She holds a PhD in Economics from Sapienza University of Rome and an MSc in Development Economics from Sussex University (UK).
