Expertise Area: Multi-Stakeholder Expert

Loretta Alethea Pope Kai

Loretta is a Liberian activist with extensive experience in forestry, environmental education, conservation, fundraising, and community organizing. She has over 15 years of experience in the natural resource management sector, where she has consistently promoted gender justice and inclusive governance.

Over the years, Loretta has been a strong advocate for improved forest management and land tenure reforms, contributing to the passage of Liberia’s Land Rights Act and the establishment of the Women’s Land Rights Task Force. She has worked closely with communities to develop Community Forestry Management Plans, with a strong focus on women’s inclusion in decision-making processes.

Her work emphasizes how benefits from natural resources can serve the collective interests of communities, support rural livelihood development, and advance sustainable outcomes through integrated land-use planning and collective customary land formalization.

Mengistu Tessema Berasa

Mengistu Tessema worked as Program Manager in Land for Life Ethiopia. Has work experience in both governmental and NGOs in different capacities. Has vast experience in the different sectors focusing on land governance, agricultural land investment, program planning, implementation, monitoring and Evaluation, SME, Agricultural credit and marketing …

Rodrigue Bazame

Currently I am the Manager of B2 Immobilis Consulting ltd and an asssociate lecturer in Real Estate management, Real estate valuation, Real estate marketing, housing policies in several public and private universities in Burkina Faso. Previously I acted as a technical assistant for the West African Monetary and Economic Union’s project Centre of Excellence for Housing.

Anteneh Wondimu Eshetie

I have over 14 years of professional experience in land governance, responsible agricultural investment, land use planning, landscape restoration, and integrated livelihood development. I have worked with national and international NGOs to implement community-based programs, strengthen local institutions, and promote sustainable land and livelihood systems. I hold a Master’s degree in Environment and Land Resource Management, which provides a strong academic foundation for my work in sustainable land use and governance.

Eva Abugabe

Security and development expert with a decade of experience in governance, gender, conflict management, and inclusive community development. Currently a Border Security Researcher for Ghana’s government since 2021, implementing policies that enhance national security and foster resilient border communities.

Dr. Abdihakim Osman

I have a PhD in Peace, Governance, and Development along with Master’s degrees in Urban Management and Disaster Resilience Leadership and Humanitarian Action. A recognized thought leader in his field, he is an active member of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) and the Urban Affairs Association (UAA).

I have nearly two decades of multi-sectoral experience across civil society, the public sector, NGOs, and UN system. Over the last 13 years, I have held senior leadership roles pertinent to the local governance including land administrations. I was was the founding Dean of the Center for Local Governance at the Civil Service Institute and the first Head of the Local Government Institute (LGI). I have an extensive history in supporting and working on the UN flagship Joint Programme on Local Governance (JPLG) and held various positions within UN-Habitat. Currently, I am a Senior Manager of Dowlad-kaab, UN-Habitat’s largest local governance programme in the Eastern and Horn of Africa region.

I am an advocate for strengthening land governance through policy reform and technological innovation. My recent research into the Somali land market serves as the foundation for my current efforts to systematically transform market conditions and land administration in the Somali peninsula.

 

Ifedayo Grace Malachi

Social scientist specialising in conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and translocal governance. Research focuses on mobility, integration, and well-being among Indigenous, marginalised, and conflict-affected communities. Uses mixed but participatory, and policy-engaged methods to bridge sociology, governance, and peace studies, with expertise in local diplomacy, land governance, resilience, and community-based policymaking. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, knowledge translation, and designing collaborative platforms to strengthen inclusive governance, evidence-informed decision-making, and institutional capacity

Heba Allah Khalil

Professional Experience

·       Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering, Giza, Egypt, 2000-current.

Professor of Sustainable Urbanism, Department of Architecture since December 2017.

o Teaching diverse undergraduate & graduate courses including Architecture & Humanities, Architectural Design, Working Drawings & Details, Community Design, Urban Planning, Community Development, Housing & Integrated Urban Systems.

o Principal investigator & team leader with multiple international partnerships in UK, Germany, Sweden, France, Morocco, USA, North Africa & the Arab Region focusing on Green & Healthy Cities, Gender Equity, Land Governance, Urban Metabolism, Resource Efficiency, Urban Climate & Informal Areas Upgrading, with a budget surpassing 1.5 million Euros.

Program Senior Coordinator of the Architectural Engineering & Technology AET program August 2018-current.

o Successfully leading the academic program with 70 courses, 300+ students, 40+ instructors & 70+ teaching assistants, overseeing program strategic planning, budgeting, supervision of education & accreditation.

·       Cairo National University, Giza, Egypt, 2025-current.

Head of Program, the Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism SAU program.

o Successfully initiating and leading the academic program with 58 courses, 100+ students, overseeing program strategic planning, budgeting, supervision of education & accreditation.

·       Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering (ACE), Gothenburg, Sweden, 2022-2024

Visiting Professor, GENIE (Gender Initiative for Excellence)

o Contributing to both research & education within different courses in the field of social inclusion, gender equity, resource efficiency & urban microclimate.

·       American University in Cairo AUC, School of Sciences & Engineering, Department of Architectural Engineering, Cairo, Egypt, 2014- 2024.

Adjunct Professor since December 2017.

o Conducting Studios in Contextual Design, Vertical Studio A & B, Senior Project 1 & Senior Project 2.

·       Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, Department of Urban Studies & Planning DUSP, Special Program in Urban & Regional Studies SPURS, MA, USA.

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow, September 2016 – June 2017: Research & teaching activities.

·        Participatory sustainable urban development, housing, informal areas & capacity building expert, 2009-current. Worked for multiple public agencies & international organizations as detailed below:

o VisionRI Connexion Services Private Limited, India: Urban Planning & Design Specialist & Team Leader, leading the team for the development of the Western Area Regional Structure Plan (WARSP), Resilient Urban Sierra Leone Project (RUSLP), Sierra Leone (Oct 2023-present), project funded by the World Bank.

o General Organization of Physical Planning GOPP, Egypt: Housing expert, Shubra Alkhiema city replanning (April 2023-Oct 2024)

 

o GIZ, Egypt: Urban Climate Resilience Expert for developing Local Climate Resilient Action Plan LCR-AP in Kirdasa, Giza, CBUID II, Egypt. (Sept. 2025-present). Climate Resilient Urban Development Expert, Institutional Development for Mainstreaming Climate Resilience & Socially Just Urban Development, for GOPP & UDF, CBUID, Egypt. (Jan 2024 – Nov 2024). Participatory Sustainable Urban Development Expert, developed Local Area Development Plans LADP for 5 unplanned areas, Qaliobya Governorate, within the Participatory Infrastructure Program, Egypt. (Sep 2021-Oct 2022 & Sep 2018-Jun 2020). As a Capacity Development Expert developed a capacity building program for Local Authorities in Cairo & Giza Governorate (defining needs, gaps, job descriptions & required training) within the Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (Dec 2013-Aug. 2014).

o World Bank, Washington DC: Urban Consultant for promoting Energy Efficiency in buildings & neighbourhoods in Cote D’Ivoire, Urban & Disaster Risk Reduction Africa group. (Dec 2016-April 2017).

o UN-Habitat, Egypt: Urban Development Consultant in multiple projects including developing the “Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development & Housing in the Arab Countries” for The League of Arab States (2014-2015). As a Housing Expert, developed housing studies & plans within strategic urban plans for 3 cities & city regions in Egypt (2011-2015). Stakeholder Facilitator & Community Liaison expert within the participatory process of strategic urban planning projects (2009-2012).

o General Organization of Physical Planning GOPP, Egypt & The League of Arab States: Informal Areas Development Expert, monitored, evaluated, prepared manuals & conducted a comparative study of Informal Housing Concept in Arab Countries (2009-2010).

·       Associated Consultants Office (Architects, Planners, Engineers), Cairo, Egypt.

Senior Architect & Planner/ Team leader & Housing expert, 2007-2014, lead various multiscale projects.

Architect, Sept. 2000- June 2004, concept, design development & construction drawings for diverse projects.

·       GIZ, Participatory Development Program in Urban Areas, Cairo, Egypt.

Consultant in Community Development, Facilitation & Program Evaluation, May 2004- June 2005, evaluated GIZ projects in Egypt & networked among local CBOs, NGOs & other consultants working in the area.

Selected Publications

Published more than 50 papers in journals, conferences & co-authored books. Samples of latest publications:

·         Khalil, H., Gammaz, S., Yousif, I., Haroun, M., Shahin, D. & Ragab, Y. (2025) Activating Urban Micro-Lungs in Highly Dense Cities: Green and Healthy Corridors in Greater Cairo Region, Cities & Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2025.2496011.

·         Reckien, D., Juhola, S., Haque, A. N., Khalil, H. A., Lemos, M. F., Lwasa, S., Niamir, L., Osorio, J. & Visconti, C. (2025). Justice for Resilient Development in Climate-Stressed Cities in W. Solecki, M. Pathak, M. Barata, A. Barau, M. Dombrov, & C. Rosenzweig, ARC3.3 Climate Change and Cities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009587105.

·         Zahran, R., Bahgat, H., Abd El Aziz, T. & Khalil, H. (2024) Joyful Living Labs – Pedagogical Approach for Urban Design Thinking Soft Skills, IJAR, https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-08-2024-0332

 

·         Khalil, H., Ibrahim, A., ElGendy, N., & Makhlouf, N. (2022) Enhancing Livability in Informal Areas: A Participatory Approach to Improve Urban Microclimate in Outdoor Spaces. Sustainability 2022, 14, 6395. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116395

·         Eissa, Y. & Khalil, H. Urban Climate Change Governance within Centralised Governments: A Case Study of Giza, Egypt, Urban Forum 2022, 33(2), pp. 197–221, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-021-09441-9

·         Abdel-Moneim, N.M., Khalil, H.A.E. & Kamel, R.R. (2021) Developing QOL Index for Resettlement Projects of Unsafe Areas in Egypt. Urban Forum, 32(3), pp. 349-371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-021-09419-7.

 

·         Khalil HAEE, Al-Ahwal A. Reunderstanding Cairo through urban metabolism: Formal versus informal districts resource flow performance in fast urbanizing cities. J Ind Ecol. 2021; 25:176–192. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13056

·         Khalil, H., Ibrahim, A., ElGendy, N., & Makhlouf, N. (2018) Could/should Improving the Urban Climate in Informal Areas of Fast Growing Cities be an Integral Part of Upgrading Processes? Case study, Cairo, Urban Climate, 24, pp. 63-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2018.01.007

·         Khalil, H. & Khalil, E.E. (2015) Energy Efficiency in the Urban Environment, CRC press, Taylor & Francis., https://doi.org/10.1201/b18098

Moussa DJIRE

Researches and consultancies on land gouvernance , customary land rights , management of water resources, climate change adaptation , conflict resolution in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger , Ghana , Côte d’Ivoire , Guinea Togo and Gabon . Supervision and management of several research groups , organisation and animation of training on several themes related to land tenure and land governance .