Guyo Malicha Roba

Guyo Roba is the director of the Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action, based at the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya. Prior to his appointment in 2022, Guyo held leadership roles in the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA).

A leading expert in natural resource management, rural development and drylands, with extensive experience implementing natural resource programmes in Eastern and Southern Africa and the wider Horn of Africa, Guyo oversees projects at the Jameel Observatory to mitigate food security and reduce malnutrition in East Africa, through forecasting, long-term preparedness and emergency response to climate-related food and health risks. Guyo’s work focuses on the importance of improving the reliability of early warning and risk management systems in order to mitigate the effects of drought.

Guyo comes from the Borana pastoralist community in Northern Kenya and brings personal and technical insights to his work with dryland communities. He took a bachelor’s of science degree in environmental planning and management from Kenyatta University, followed by a master’s in energy studies from the University of Dundee and a PhD in agricultural sciences from Universität Kassel.

News

New research highlights the role of anticipatory action in addressing climate crises in East Africa

New research findings suggest that families in the Horn of Africa need strengthened systems to enhance resilience to climate shocks

Mohammed Jameel KBE visits the Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action in Kenya

Fady Jameel and Bill Gates discuss the future of farming and climate resilience at COP28

Bill Gates and Fady Jameel discuss food and farming with scientists, farmers and chefs at the 'Farming for our future' breakfast event on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai

Media

Global leaders unite at the UAE Pavilion at COP28 to discuss powerful partnerships for sustainable food systems

Climate change and food insecurity: what can philanthropy do?

University of Edinburgh and the International Livestock Research Institute renew partnership

How climate debt hurts poor nations

Drylands partnership project looks toward delivering impact

CNN’s Connecting Africa explores Nairobi’s role as a technology and research hub to combat drought

How climate change worsened Eastern Africa's drought

Global warming made Horn of Africa drought possible: WWA study

Scientists: Climate change made eastern Africa drought worse

East Africa drought worsened by climate change

Guyo Roba: Climate change worsened East Africa drought

Scientists: Climate change worsened eastern Africa drought

Drought killed 43,000 people in Somalia last year

UK must prioritise food security warns NFU

Worst drought on record continues to ravage the Horn Of Africa

How to stop drought aid 'coming with the vultures'

Guyo Roba: Embracing early action a necessity for drought hit counties

Act on warnings about weather changes to cut life saving costs

Drought: We know what to do, why don’t we do it?

When there's drought, African governments urged to act before there's famine

Report calls for urgent action to tackle hunger crisis in East Africa

One person every 48 seconds estimated to be dying from hunger in drought-ravaged East Africa

New report: Up to every 48 seconds, a human dies of starvation in the Horn of Africa

Jameel Observatory warns of famine disaster in Africa

Dangerous Delay 2: The Cost of Inaction

Report: Dangerous Delay 2: The Cost of Inaction

Events

Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action x UNCCD COP16

UNFAO | Second drylands summer school

Jameel Observatory x Save the Children: Early warning systems and anticipatory action for tackling hunger and insecurity

COP28 | Farming for our future: Growing climate resilience

THENGOIFF 2023 | How storytelling can help simplify scientific discoveries & build an ecological conscious population

Africa Climate Week 2023: Response, recovery and resilience - dryland communities managing climate shocks

Africa Climate Summit 2023: Investing in South-led science and innovation for a just and equitable climate finance framework

Anticipatory action to avert future crises

Harvesting data, harvesting food: Data modelling, forecasting and early warning for food security policy

Data farm

Photos