• Senior Research Associate, United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), United Nations University

Dr. Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola is an expert in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, with over 10 years of experience in research, policy development, and teaching across sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. He currently serves as a Senior Research Associate at the United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security in Bonn, Germany.

Olasunkanmi specializes in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, community-based natural resource management, and coastal and marine resource management. His work focuses on exploring adaptation within the context of resilience planning, examining both conventional and alternative approaches to disaster risk reduction and sustainability. He has conducted community-based qualitative and quantitative research in cities across the global North and South, specifically on disaster risk governance and climate change adaptation.

Currently, he leads a dynamic initiative aimed at developing robust criteria and analytical frameworks for assessing urban resilience in 50 African cities. His responsibilities include documenting urban resilience practices, identifying diverse case studies across various regions and hazards, conducting comprehensive baseline research, and engaging local stakeholders to gather valuable insights and best practices. He collaborates closely with his project team to prepare detailed reports summarizing their findings, contributes to policy briefs to enhance urban resilience strategies, and prepares scientific publications to disseminate research findings. His work aims to foster a deeper understanding of transformational recovery pathways that address climate-related challenges while ensuring alignment with ongoing global policy dialogues.

Olasunkanmi has received several prestigious scholarships, including the DAAD, Mary Fran Myers, and Alexander von Humboldt Fellowships, as well as the Policy Leader Fellowship at the European University Institute. He has authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers published in journals such as Urban Climate and the International Journal for Disaster Risk Reduction. His opinion pieces and commentaries have appeared on major local and international platforms, including the London School of Economics, The Brookings Institution, and The Conversation. He frequently serves as a public affairs analyst in national and international media outlets, including the New York Times, Radio France Internationale, BBC, and Newzroom Afrika.

• –present Consultant for the Institute for Land Governance and Community Resilient, Federal University of Technology, Minna

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