Muna Ismail

Background

About Muna Ismail

As a programme manager at Initiative of Change, UK and a plant scientist, I am interested in land restoration and environmental stewardship. My experience in community action and sustainable development projects complement my focus on food security and localised food systems in dryland ecosystems. I specialise in regions affected by population displacement, conflict, biodiversity loss, and climate change, where I have honed my skills and knowledge to handle challenging situations. In the last seven years, I have been leading the Refugees as Re-Builders training programme at Initiatives of Change UK for settled professional refugees from conflict-affected regions worldwide. A programme that builds capacity and promotes agency amongst diaspora professionals of refugee backgrounds to become leaders and stewards for "Re-Building" projects in their countries/communities of origin. In addition, I have been developing with colleagues the implementation of the Yeheb.org project, a [brief description of the project's significance see below]. I am actively contributing to its research, running planting trials and domesticating this plant in the Somali-inhabited regions of the Horn of Africa, the only place in the world where it grows wild. Previously, I held a public health research position in East London and the City Health Authority (ELCHA). This experience has informed my current focus on dryland ecosystems, particularly in the Horn of Africa. For over 12 years, I worked with various UK charities, including the mental health charity Mind, which partly sponsored my PhD research on Khat, a psycho-active plant and its social impacts in conflict-affected regions in Africa and Yemen. I completed my doctoral research at King’s College London in 2011. Subsequently, I held a visiting postdoc research analyst at the School of Pharmacy, University College London, in 2012 and at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, in 2013-14.