Tamara Nyirenda Jumbe

Tamara is a Research Analyst for PlanAdapt’s Coordination Hub.

Based in Malawi, Tamara is passionate about the intersection of climate change, its impacts, and the responses of the communities it affects. Her career pursuits have led her to explore the influence of policy on agricultural adaptation to climate change, and she is particularly interested in how climate change science and adaptation can be effectively integrated with the communities most affected by these changes to ultimately have economically feasible and adaptive adaptation options.

At PlanAdapt, Tamara is working to establish her expertise in the analytical aspects of the implementation and programming of locally-led adaptation. This involves a deep understanding of the complexities of climate change, how it impacts different regions and communities, and the effective actions that can be taken to achieve resilience. In addition to this, Tamara is also interested in the application of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) for climate change adaptation interventions. She also supports the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) Capacity Strengthening Hub (jointly coordinated by PlanAdapt and African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)) as a Communication and Knowledge Management Expert. In the wider PlanAdapt, Tamara also contributes to research initiatives and supports the Climate Co-Adaptation Lab in fostering research, collaboration and innovation.

Tamara’s professional background includes tenures at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) working on projects such as the Foundation for a Smokefree World funded Centre for Agricultural Transformation and the NORAD funded Capacity Building for Managing Climate Change (CABMACC) program. The projects aimed to advance developmental outcomes for agriculture and livelihoods within the spheres of environment and climate change. In addition to her roles at MUST and LUANAR, Tamara also collaborates with consultancy firms, such as the Orbit Centre for Climate Research on short to medium-term research in the field of environment and climate change within Malawi.

Tamara holds a Master’s degree in Climate Change Adaptation from the University of Nairobi, a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Integrated Environmental Science from the University of Namibia, and a Diploma in Environmental Management for Sustainable Development from the Natural Resources College of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.