Happyness Ngonyani
PhD student
Department of agricultural economics
INSPIRA
Ghent University
Coupure links 653
9000 Ghent, Belgium
happyness.ngonyani@ugent.be
I am a researcher and environmental advocate who works to address sustainable development challenges in attaining resilient communities. I am a UNESCO-L’Oréal Young Talents for Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa-2024 Award winner. Currently I am pursuing my PhD at Bayero University in Nigeria under the Center for Dryland Agriculture and am a researcher and a visiting scholar at Ghent University, where I am doing a research sandwich program. I am focusing on climate change adaptation and sustainable water management, with a particular emphasis on transboundary water systems. My research centers on integrating indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge scientific techniques to enhance sustainable management of the Mara River Basin, a critical water source shared by Tanzania and Kenya. My work has earned me international recognition through UNESCO’s Young Talent for Women in Science in Sub-Saharan Africa program award.
I advocate for inclusive and community-driven solutions; my work delves into how local communities can actively contribute to climate resilience through sustainable watershed management. Beyond academia, I have demonstrated exceptional leadership in environmental conservation through my work as a founder of Girls Education for Climate Action (GECA), an NGO in Tanzania specializing in climate change advocacy, biodiversity conservation, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programs. Through our clubs, I am also at the forefront of women’s empowerment in STEM subjects.
To continue my impactful work, my goal is to scale sustainable, community-led solutions that address the dual challenges of environmental degradation and climate change, ensuring a lasting impact for generations to come.
Currently conducting a PhD research titled “Harmonization of Indigenous Knowledge and Emerging Technologies in Transboundary Watershed Management as Climate Change Mitigation Mechanisms in the Mara River Basin of Tanzania and Kenya” Supervisors: Bello Gambo (Bayero University); Joost Dessein (Ghent University); Stijn Speelman (Ghent University), Tasi’u Rilwanu Yalwa (Bayero University)
2011-2014: Bachelor of science in Aquatic Environmental Science and Conservation-University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2016-2018: Masters of Science in Water Sciences (Policy Track)-Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences, Algeria
2021-Current: PhD in Natural Resource Management and Climate Change-Bayero University, Nigeria
- Indigenous knowledge
- Climate change
- Watershed management
- Transboundary water
- Emerging technologies
Happyness Ngonyani
PhD student
Department of agricultural economics
INSPIRA
Ghent University
Coupure links 653
9000 Ghent, Belgium
happyness.ngonyani@ugent.be
Bio
I am a researcher and environmental advocate who works to address sustainable development challenges in attaining resilient communities. I am a UNESCO-L’Oréal Young Talents for Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa-2024 Award winner. Currently I am pursuing my PhD at Bayero University in Nigeria under the Center for Dryland Agriculture and am a researcher and a visiting scholar at Ghent University, where I am doing a research sandwich program. I am focusing on climate change adaptation and sustainable water management, with a particular emphasis on transboundary water systems. My research centers on integrating indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge scientific techniques to enhance sustainable management of the Mara River Basin, a critical water source shared by Tanzania and Kenya. My work has earned me international recognition through UNESCO’s Young Talent for Women in Science in Sub-Saharan Africa program award.
I advocate for inclusive and community-driven solutions; my work delves into how local communities can actively contribute to climate resilience through sustainable watershed management.
Beyond academia, I have demonstrated exceptional leadership in environmental conservation through my work as a founder of Girls Education for Climate Action (GECA), an NGO in Tanzania specializing in climate change advocacy, biodiversity conservation, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programs. Through our clubs, I am also at the forefront of women's empowerment in STEM subjects.
To continue my impactful work, my goal is to scale sustainable, community-led solutions that address the dual challenges of environmental degradation and climate change, ensuring a lasting impact for generations to come.
Research
Currently conducting a PhD research titled "Harmonization of Indigenous Knowledge and Emerging Technologies in Transboundary Watershed Management as Climate Change Mitigation Mechanisms in the Mara River Basin of Tanzania and Kenya"
Supervisors: Bello Gambo (Bayero University); Joost Dessein (Ghent University); Stijn Speelman (Ghent University), Tasi’u Rilwanu Yalwa (Bayero University)
Keywords
- Indigenous knowledge
- Climate change
- Watershed management
- Transboundary water
- Emerging technologies
Education
2011-2014: Bachelor of science in Aquatic Environmental Science and Conservation-University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2016-2018: Masters of Science in Water Sciences (Policy Track)-Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences, Algeria
2021-Current: PhD in Natural Resource Management and Climate Change-Bayero University, Nigeria