About

Martin’s research at Grantham Research Institute explores transboundary climate risks and adaptation governance in Eastern Africa. His current research investigates the region’s most significant cross-border climate risks, how they are (or not) dealt with as well as the barriers, opportunities and potential for collective regional approaches to climate adaptation for enhanced climate and disaster resilience.

Background

  • Much of Martin’s experience is drawn from studying, managing and implementing projects on various thematic areas including governance, gender and youth development, security and conflict management, climate and disaster risk, and natural resource management in Africa, Europe and Asia. Prior to starting his PhD research at LSE’s Grantham Research Institute, he held research roles at the Stockholm Environment Institute’s Asia Centre in Bangkok (Thailand) and Africa Centre in Nairobi (Kenya) where his research was based on the Initiative on Transforming Development and Disaster Risk. He also worked for the ADRC Institute (in Nairobi, Kenya) where he led research projects mainly on socioecological transitions, climate information services, decentralised climate finance, and energy efficiency in several countries including Kenya, South Africa and Morocco. But Martin also worked as an independent consultant for many international research and development NGOs and think tanks on projects supported by agencies such as the UK DfID, USAID, SIDA, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) Christian Aid, Heinrich Böll Foundation, and the Ford Foundation among others.
  • Martin holds an MSc (Distinction) in Disasters, Adaptation and Development from King’s College London (UK) – where his Master’s dissertation was on “Urban Resilience in Nairobi: Civil Society’s Role and Interaction with Climate and Risk Science under Devolution” – and BSc (First Class Honours) in Disaster Mitigation and Sustainable Development from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (Kenya) – where his research project explored non-motorised transport in Kenya’s urban areas.
  • Martin was a Commonwealth Scholar at King’s College London, and now a Grantham Scholar at LSE.

Research interests

  • Climate change adaptation, disaster risk management and sustainable development (especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia).
  • Multi-level governance of socio-ecological systems (including natural resources systems).
  • Sustainable cities and urban resilience
  • Climate change financing and climate information services
  • Sustainable energy transitions in developing countries
  • Political economy of climate change, disaster risk and development interventions

News

News - 2023

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