Nora Nisi

Researcher (risk, resilience and adaptation)

Telephone: +44 (0)20 3463 7399

Languages: English, German, Italian, French (basic), Spanish (basic), Arabic (basic)

Nora has over 10 years of experience working on climate change, environment and sustainable development. Her passion lies in unpacking the causes, impacts and consequences of climate change and environmental degradation, as well as the appropriate measures and actions to foster resilient, equitable and nature-positive sustainable development.

Before IIED

Nora worked for en.v – an organisation dedicated to fostering social development and civic engagement in the Middle East. Before that, she worked for local NGOs in both Kuwait and Indonesia supporting the operationalisation and progress of programmes focused on community-based conservation, capacity building and economic empowerment.

Education

MSc, ecological economics, University of Edinburgh
BSc, University of Toronto. Double major in peace conflict and justice studies, and environmental studies. Minor in forest conservation science.

Current work

Nora’s work aims to:

Understand the climate and environmental risks posed to communities and the factors that contribute to vulnerability, such as social, economic and political conditions – often focusing on the key issues of justice and exclusion. This is often done through participatory methods.
Explore ways to reduce vulnerability and enhance equitable climate resilience, such as policy recommendations, landscape approaches, nature-based solutions, appropriate adaptation measures and locally-led action. In practice, this can involve engaging directly across local communities, policymakers and other stakeholders to co-develop solutions that are context-specific and grounded in local realities.
Examine the wider systems and structures that impede effective resilience and/or contribute to the climate and environmental crises, such as climate finance landscapes, governance processes, economic systems and political economies. Nora aims to drive institutional change, enhance accountability and influence these systems by convening decision-makers and leveraging evidence, learning and strategic partnerships.

Past and ongoing projects include the Adaptation Research Alliance; Drought, agriculture and climate change in Small Island Developing States; Supporting the LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE-AR); Tackling loss and damage in vulnerable countries: improving evidence and co-generating pathways to impact; Addressing nature loss and damage due to climate and consumption; Climate change and conflict: reframing the debate.