Summary
See CV, section ‘Employment record in detail’:
Jobs:  41, 37, 33, 32, 31, 29, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, (17), (16), (15), (11), (10)
Publications: 117, 115, 112, 109, 108, 94, 93, 89, 77, 67, 60, 58, 48, 39, 30, 28, 15, 14, 11, 10, 9

With over 30 years of international experience, I have worked extensively on the impacts of climate change and variability on agriculture across Africa and Asia. I have contributed to numerous projects focusing on climate change impacts, early warning systems, and vulnerability assessments. These efforts involved employment by leading organizations such as FAO and ICARDA. My work has spanned diverse regions, including Africa, the Near East, and Central Asia, and encompassed a wide range of activities, such as organizing workshops, technical conferences, and training courses.

My expertise is grounded in my Ph.D. research and enriched by professional assignments in Asia and Africa, specifically detailed in jobs, listed above, as outlined in the detailed section of my CV.
Further evidence of my climate-related expertise is reflected in my publications (see above) and in the maps produced during various assignments.

The table below summarizes my climate-related assignments, highlighting my ability to integrate climate expertise into multidisciplinary projects, whether as a technical expert or evaluator.

Job 41 (January 2024 – February 2024) As an International Consultant on Multi-Hazards Early Warning Systems for AgriTechTalk International (ATT) on behalf of FAO, I developed an action plan to transform Syria’s Ministry of Agriculture’s Drought Early Warning System into a comprehensive multi-hazards early warning system, in close collaboration with stakeholders and relevant institutions

Job 37 (November 2021 – December 2021) As an International Consultant on Drought Risk Management and Early Warning for ATT on behalf of FAO, I designed a plan to improve Syria’s early warning system for food security and proposed a quick-win capacity-building program to strengthen its capabilities.

Job 33 (May 2018 – July 2018) Serving as a Consultant on Climate Risks and Vulnerability Analysis for FAO, I provided technical support in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia for climate data collection, quality checks, and risk assessments. I coordinated the work of national consultants and created a digital atlas of climate risk and vulnerability using land suitability mapping for the Southern Africa region.

Job 32 (February 2018 – March 2018) As a Consultant on Drought Early Warning Systems in Syria for FAO, I conducted government staff training on map development to identify drought hotspots and advised on enhancing early warning systems for food security. I provided recommendations on statistical data use, communication materials, and improving the existing drought early warning bulletin.

Job 31 (October 2017 – November 2017) As a Consultant on Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment for FAO, I led the collection and analysis of land use data and conducted vulnerability assessments in Lesotho. I developed training resources and trained government staff. In Syria, I reviewed the Drought Early Warning System, identifying gaps and recommending cost-effective methods and capacity-building strategies.

Job 29 (November 2016 – December 2016) As a Consultant on Climate Analysis for FAO, I compiled studies on climate change impacts and hotspots in six African countries. I prepared technical reports, contributed to a scientific paper, and updated climate resource assessments with detailed methodologies.

Job 26 (October 2015 – December 2015) As a Consultant on Climate Change Impact Assessment for FAO, I analyzed climate change impacts using historical agricultural data and AR5 climate scenarios. I developed rainfall indices and evaluated climate analysis software, providing technical guidance for its development.

Job 25 (February 2015 – June 2015) As a Consultant for ICARDA, I contributed to the Climate Change e-Atlas for Jordan and Iraq. I developed land suitability assessment methods under climate change and expanded the atlas with maps and documentation while training NCARE staff on mapping techniques.

Job 24 (July 2014 – December 2014) As a Consultant on Medium-Term Warning Systems (MTWS) for FAO, I analyzed climate and biophysical indicators to produce high-resolution maps of vulnerabilities and agro-ecological zones for seven African countries. I also developed methodologies for hotspot analysis and software automation.

Job 23 (November 2013 – October 2014) As a Consultant for ICARDA, I created regional maps of precipitation and drought trends for Iraq and Jordan. I supervised climate change analysis and contributed to Climate Change Atlases while coordinating a training course for Iraqi and Jordanian teams.

Job 22 (October 2013 – January 2014) As a Consultant for MTWS development for FAO, I harmonized climate and biophysical data for seven African countries, refined hotspot mapping, and produced guidelines for downscaling climate model outputs to improve vulnerability assessments.

Job 21 (March 2013 – September 2013) As a Consultant for ICARDA, I coordinated training on climate change impact analysis in Iraq and Jordan and produced drought trend maps. I synthesized methodologies and findings into reports and workshop presentations, providing recommendations for climate adaptation strategies.

Job 20 (January 2013 – September 2013) As a Consultant for the EU-FP7-DARECLIMED Project with the Cyprus Institute, I prepared reports on climate and resource data for Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. I organized data repositories and participated in regional workshops to enhance knowledge sharing.

Job 19 (October 2012 – March 2013) As a Consultant for FAO, I developed high-resolution maps of climatic and agricultural indicators for Africa under climate change scenarios. I harmonized datasets and conducted hotspot mapping to identify areas of vulnerability, providing comprehensive analysis reports.

Job 18 (September 2011 to August 2012) As a Consultant for ICARDA I undertook various tasks with main focus on land resource mapping and analysis, authoring research reports on topics such as GIS applications for climate adaptation planning, animal genetic resource integration, and water harvesting assessments. I also participated in international workshops and conferences, presenting findings on climate change adaptation and agroecological characterization, while supporting capacity building through training programs.

Job 17-16  (September 1996 to July 2011) As Research Leader I managed ICARDA’s GIS Unit in Aleppo, Syria, and oversaw the development of spatial databases for agroecological zoning, drought risk assessments, and land use mapping across North Africa, West Asia, and Central Asia. Our team developed innovative GIS approaches and remote sensing analyses, implementing collaborative projects with national agricultural research organizations in Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Syria, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and advanced research institutes in the USA (Yale, USDA-ARS Lubbock, Tx.), My responsibilities included maintaining ICARDA’s meteorological network, organizing regional training programs and workshops, while also mentoring graduate students involved in M.Sc. and Ph.D. research from KUL, Belgium.)

Job 15  (April 1996 -July 1996) Working as FAO consultant in land use planning and agroecology in Namibia, I led soil and land resource surveys, evaluated land use practices, and trained local staff in survey methodologies. My contributions included compiling national datasets on soils, landforms, and climate, culminating in the creation of an agroecological zones map and a GIS-based atlas as a basis for sustainable agricultural planning in the country.

Job 11 (January 1988 – July 1991): Serving as agrometeorologist for FAO in Lesotho, my responsibilities included monitoring crop conditions, forecasting yields, and to assist the Lesotho Meteorological Service with maintaining their meteorological station network. I developed crop growth models, analyzed satellite data to assess vegetation and rainfall, and established a computerized databank for agrometeorological monitoring.

Job 10 (November 1987- December 1987): In late 1987, I worked as a consultant for FAO in Ethiopia, where I introduced water balance methods for crop condition assessment and advised on optimizing the meteorological network based on agroecological insights. I also developed computational tools in support to agricultural monitoring and planning.