Assoc Prof. Agnes Ariho Babugura

Prof. Agnes Ariho Babugura is a highly experienced researcher and academician. She taught at Monash University South Africa for 14 years. During her tenure she excelled in teaching, supervising research students, and providing mentorship to undergraduate and post graduate students as well as junior lecturers. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Monash University honored her with two prestigious Teaching Excellence awards.

Throughout her time at Monash University South Africa, she served as head of the Geography and Environmental Science Department for a period of 5 years. In this position she contributed significantly to the establishment of quality programs as well as the development and implementation of the department’s strategic and operational plan. This experience enhanced her leadership skills and ability to work as a team player.  Furthermore, she served as a research coordinator for the School of Social Science and also served on the campus-wide research ethics committee.

Prof. Babugura has authored a range of scholarly publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, policy briefs, research reports, and concise articles. In August 2019, her policy brief “Gender Equality in Combating Climate Change: The African Context” was selected as one of the top eight international policy briefs to be published in a Special Edition: Women, Power, and Policy Making. Her research on gender and climate change (South African case study) played an important role in advocating for gender mainstreaming in national and international climate change policies. She has actively engaged in various international conferences and workshops, where she effectively presented her research findings to diverse audiences.

Beyond academic activities, Prof. Babugura also actively engages in consulting, interdisciplinary collaborations, and community engagement initiatives. She has consulted for and collaborated with various government agencies and international development organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Labour Organization (ILO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Heinrich Böll Foundation, World Vision International, the Global Development Network and the European Union (EU). Consultancies and collaborations entail conducting research, reviews, evaluations, and capacity development across a diverse range of thematic areas. These areas encompass Climate Change Adaptation, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Gender and Climate Change, Environmental Management, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, Environmental Policy, Climate Governance, Climate Finance, Sustainable Development, Food and Nutrition Security, Gender Mainstreaming, Financing for Development and Social Development.

As part of her community engagement, she mentors and coaches young people, aiding them in addressing the various challenges they encounter in our rapidly changing world.

Prof. Babugura is a member of the Global Research Group on Public Development Banks (PDBs) and Development Financing Institutions (DFIs) that aims to enhance the perspective and capabilities required to align the operations of development banking with the ambitious goals outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Finance in Common initiative.

Prof. Babugura is also a member of the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA). She played a crucial role as a member of the curriculum development team responsible for crafting the SARUA programme on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.  Her specific responsibility was the development of the module on Climate Policies and Governance. Currently, she holds the responsibility of both reviewing the module’s content and conducting short learning programmes aimed at strengthening the capacity of ministries and role-players from all sectors to participate effectively in global climate change negotiations and policy development.

She is also a member of the Adaptation Network – a platform for sharing experiences, practical approaches and frameworks relating to climate change adaptation.

Prof. Babugura holds a PhD in the field of Environmental Science from the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), specializing in climate variability and change. Her research focused on social vulnerability and adaptation to climate variability and change. She earned an MSc in Environmental Science and a BA in Humanities (Environmental Science and Sociology) from the University of Botswana.