Dr. Richard Munang Appointed as Next Director of UNU-INRA

Tokyo and Accra — The United Nations University (UNU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Richard Munang as the next Director of the UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) in Accra, Ghana. Dr. Munang will begin his term on 14 September 2026.

A Cameroonian national, Dr. Munang is an internationally recognized scholar in sustainability, systems transformation and natural resource governance. He brings nearly two decades of experience in climate change adaptation, environmental monitoring and early warning systems, food, water, energy and land systems, and natural resource and environmental crime governance, including work across Africa, the wider Global South and internationally.

Throughout his career, Dr. Munang has worked at the intersection of research, policy and implementation, focusing on turning science into practical solutions, policies, standards, financing tools and enforcement approaches that support sustainable and inclusive development.

Dr. Munang currently serves as Head of the Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, leading the Office’s global response to illegal mining, illegal logging, illegal fishing, wildlife trafficking and hazardous waste crime. In this role, he has advanced approaches that use environmental insights and enforcement data, to support investigations, prosecutions and investment decisions, helping countries safeguard their natural resources more effectively.

Previously, at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Dr. Munang served as Head of the Global Environment Monitoring Systems, strengthening the integration of global monitoring across water, air and oceans and improving how environmental information reaches Member States in real time. Before that, he was Deputy Regional Director of UNEP's Regional Office for Africa, providing senior leadership for programmes covering all 54 African countries. He also previously served as UNEP's Africa Regional Climate Change Coordinator, leading programmes on climate-change adaptation, clean energy, innovative financing and food security across the continent.

UNU Rector and UN Under-Secretary-General Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala welcomed the new appointment: “We are delighted that Dr. Richard Munang will be joining UNU as the new Director of UNU-INRA. With decades of experience advancing solutions to interconnected sustainable development challenges, Dr. Munang’s depth of expertise includes a rare mix of scholarship, programming and implementation, underpinned by practical knowledge of what it takes to connect science to effective policy. His leadership will be essential as UNU redoubles efforts to expand knowledge, partnerships and impact in Africa and the Global South.”

Dr. Munang has led or shaped several initiatives that have influenced climate and development responses across Africa. Some of these include the first Africa Adaptation Gap Report, which helped raise adaptation to equal standing with mitigation in African climate positions; climate action entrepreneurship curricula in African universities; and innovative volunteerism, a skills-retooling model that has engaged millions of young people across the continent in climate-related enterprise.

Beyond his roles in the United Nations, Dr. Munang serves as Adjunct Research Professor at Western University in Canada, where his teaching and supervision focus on climate resilience, planetary health, environmental risk and data-driven decision support. He is a widely published scholar with more than 100 publications, including peer-reviewed papers, books and book chapters. His recognitions include the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders in Sustainability, the Top 100 Africa and Middle East Sustainability Voices, the Your Nottingham Alumni Award, UNEP's Baobab Award for Programme Innovation and the International Environmental Roundtable for Africa Environmental Hero Award.

Dr. Munang holds a PhD in Environmental Change and Policy from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, and an Executive Certificate in Climate Change and Energy Policymaking for the Long Term from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, United States.

Dr. Munang commented: "I am truly honoured by the opportunity to lead UNU-INRA and to build on the remarkable legacy my predecessors have established. Africa's natural resources are the foundation of the continent's future, and the need for rigorous, African-led science that is connected to policy and action has never been greater. With determination and the collaborative spirit of colleagues across UNU and the continent, I am committed to making UNU-INRA a trusted evidence partner that helps Africa turn its natural wealth into sustainable and inclusive development.”