Speakers

Nicholas Otienoh Oguge, PhD

Email: noguge@earthwatch.org

EDUCATION

1992 : Ph.D. (Reproductive Physiology), Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand

1986 : MSc (Biology of Conservation), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

1983 : BEd (Botany, Zoology, Education), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

SUMMARY OF WORK EXPERIENCE

• Over 26 years experience in Ecosystems Research, Biodiversity Conservation, climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessments and measures, Natural Resource Management and sustainable development.
• Seven years as Country Director for Earthwatch Institute, an International NGO in Environmental Conservation and Education with core competency in climate change science.
• PhD Graduate in Animal Physiology from Lincoln University, New Zealand, and MSc graduate in Conservation Biology from University of Nairobi.
• 2 years as Visiting Associate Professor of Biology at Duke University, USA.
• 3 years as Chairman Department of Zoology, Kenyatta University, Kenya
• 8 years as Senior Lecturer, Zoology Department, Kenyatta University.

Current work entails encouraging and facilitating integration of science and policy, researchers and community, and different types of science within and external to my organization, with the aim of improving natural resource management through sustainable development.

Leadership and planning experiences

• Earthwatch Institute Kenya Strategic Plan 2009
• Earthwatch Institute Kenya Business Plan 2009
• Samburu Conservation Research Initiative Strategic Plans 2003 and 2007
• Samburu Conservation Research Business Plans 2004-08
• Samburu Conservation Research Initiative Annual Reports 2004-08
• Ecological Society for Eastern Africa Strategic Plan 2008
• Rotary Club of Westlands Strategic Plan 2008
• Curriculum development, Kenyatta University 1998

Conservation Policy Development experience

• Policy Brief – Capacity Building in Climate Change Adaptation (WWF EARPO, 2008)
• Grevy’s zebra conservation strategy plan (Kenya Wildlife Service, 2008)
• Protected Area Habitat Restoration Model for Drylands (International Fund for Animal Welfare, 2007)
• Using Research Findings in the Conservation and Management of Biodiversity in Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya Wildlife Service, 1994)
• Rodent Control Programme Strategy for Kenya (FAO 1989)

Contribution to Institutional, Programmes and Projects strategic direction

• Earthwatch Institute Conservation Research Initiative (2003).
• Protecting staple crops in eastern Africa: integrated approaches for ecologically based field rodent pest management (EU, ICA4-CT-2000-30029)
• The Taita Hills Project, a study of biodiversity and habitat fragmentation (VLIR, Belgium, 1996)

Project Management and mobilisation experiences

• Samburu Community Climate Change Mapping Project (Rio Tinto, 2009)
• Building community resilience towards Climate Change: of improved dams and potable water in Samburu District (Tyco International Ltd, 2009)
• Capacity Building in Conservation (Rufford, 2009)

Generating, managing and stimulating the uptake of knowledge

• Member of the International Scientific Committee for the 2013 International Congress of Ecology
• Contribution of 8 chapters to Books on Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management
• Over 25 peer refereed articles on Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Natural Resource Management
• Reviewer assignments in six international journals
• Peer evaluation and rating for the National Research Foundation, Republic of South Africa
• International Conferences and Workshops organisation experiences
• Community workshop organisation experiences
• Development of Training Workshops, e.g. Climate Change Adaptation Capacity Building Workshop and Field Training Sessions/Visits (WWF EARPO, 2008)
• Setting up of an Ecological society for Eastern Africa as Founding President (www.ecsea.org)
• Member Technical Committee of the Society for Consevation Biology conference (Port Elizabeth, RSA , 2007).

Other experiences in project assessment and monitoring in drylands

• Identification of indicators and benchmarks for the assessment of the actual or potential contribution of good land management practices in mixed livestock/wildlife production agro-ecosystems (IUCN EARPO, 2007).
• Monitoring and evaluation of a community based natural resource management in Laikipia, Kenya (AWF, 2006).
• Evaluation of the Meru Conservation Area habitat restoration programme and development of a habitat restoration model for dryland habitats (IFAW, 2007).
• Strategic Environmental Assessment – Mara River Basin Management Initiative (WWF/USAID/EAC, 2008).
• Cost Benefits Analysis of the proposed Tana River Sugar Project (Nature Kenya, 2008)