Established in 1972 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the global authority that sets the environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as the authoritative voice for the global environment.
Prior to his appointment as Deputy Director of the UNEP Africa Office, Richard Munang was the Climate Change Coordinator for the same office, where he guided the implementation of UNEP’s climate resilient development strategy at the country and regional levels. He was also the Africa Regional Coordinator for the Climate Change sub-programme. Richard Munang started at UNEP in 2009 as a project manager in the Division of Ecosystems. He managed UNEP’s first adaptation project called the Climate Change Adaptation and Development Programme (CCDare), implemented jointly with UNDP. He then worked on the Ecosystems-based Adaptation (EBA) projects for mountains, EBA for food security, EBA for coastal ecosystems, low-emission development and climate action.
Spearheading the creation of the Adaptation Assembly
When he joined the UNDP Africa office, Richard Munang spearheaded UNEP’s first series of reports on the adaptation deficit in Africa, which helped boost a coherent continental strategic position on climate policy. He spearheaded the conceptualization and establishment of the Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), a continental policy framework and implementation platform for adaptation and food security in Africa. In addition, he has enhanced the retooling of youth skills to leverage their passion for turning climate change challenges into climate opportunities.
Prior to joining the UN, Richard Munang worked as a researcher at Trinity College, University of Dublin and as a lecturer at the University of Nottingham. He has been involved in a variety of research projects and has published over 500 articles in international peer-reviewed journals and magazines. He is the author of the book Making Africa work through the Power of Innovative Volunteerism.
In 2016, Richar Munang won the UNEP Baobab Award for Program Innovation, which recognizes improved effectiveness and efficiency, with UNEP’s work on mainstreaming ABE policy at the national and regional levels.
Richard Munang holds a PhD in Environmental Change and Policy from the University of Nottingham and completed the first Executive Certificate in “Climate Change and Energy: Long-Term Policymaking” at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
