Susan Chomba, the Kenyan environmentalist committed to protecting forests in Africa

Susan Chomba, a Kenyan scientist and environmentalist specializing in agroforestry, has led significant environmental initiatives across Africa. Over the past few years, she has played a pivotal role in major projects, among which « Regreening Africa » which has helped restore one million hectares of land across eight African countries.

Susan Chomba’s journey into agroforestry began by chance. Though she initially hoped to study law or agricultural economics, she was instead enrolled in a forestry program at Moi University in Kenya. It was there that she earned her bachelor’s degree and discovered her true calling. She went on to pursue a Master’s degree in agricultural development and agroforestry at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and Bangor University in the Wales. She later completed a PhD in forest governance from the university of Copenhagen.

Since 2015, she had held a range of roles that have honed her expertise in agroforestry across the African continent. Between 2015 and 2016, she served as lead consultant on climate smart agriculture uptake in Africa, working on barriers and incentives for adopting climate smart agriculture (CSA) in Africa. In 2016, she worked as a consultant for the International Fund for Agricultural development, overseeing various agricultural development projects. The following year, in 2017, she took on consultancy roles for multiple organizations including USAID, IFAD, the Center for evidence-based development, contributing to a variety of initiatives focused on sustainable agriculture and environmental resilience.

In 2017, she was appointed as project manager at the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) in Kenya, where she led the « Regreening Africa » project until 2021. She managed to build and lead the programme, which aimed to restore one million hectares of degraded land and improve the livelihoods of 500 000 households across eight African countries, namely Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Niger, Mali, Senegal and Ghana. She successfully led the programme which delivered significant outcomes : improved soil health, increased tree cover with a diversity of tree species suited to local context, higher household incomes, more equitable benefit-sharing by addressing gender inequities.

Since 2021, she has served as the Director of Vital Landscapes at the World Resources Institute (WRI). In this role, she leads the organization’s efforts across Africa in forest protection and sustainable management, restoration, food systems transformation and governance. She heads a multidisciplinary team of researchers and program developers working on key environmental challenges, including forest protection and sustainable management in the Congo Basin, landscape restoration in the Sahel, Eastern and Southern Africa, as well as advancing food systems through agroecological transitions, and tackling food loss and food waste…

In 2016, Susan Chomba was recognized by the Global Landscapes Forum as one of 16 woman restoring the earth. In 2022, she was named among the 25 women shaping climate action worldwide by GreenBiz. In 2023, she was featured in the BBC’s 100 Women list which highlights 100 inspiring and influential women around the world. She was also appointed as a global ambassador for both the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience under the UN High Level Champions for Climate Action.