Dr. Mesfin Sahle Achemo is a Research Fellow and Academic Associate in the Biodiversity and Society Programme at UNU-IAS.
He is a geospatial and environmental planning specialist whose research integrates spatial analysis, scenario development and stakeholder engagement to advance sustainability and resilience in socio-ecological systems. His current work with UNU-IAS focuses on the design and implementation of research related to socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes, contributing to international initiatives such as the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) and supporting the implementation of the SDGs and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. His efforts bridge science and policy through interdisciplinary approaches to biodiversity, ecosystem services and nature-positive transitions.
Previously, Dr. Achemo served as a Programme Management Officer at the Intergovernmental Platform on Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (IPBES) Technical Support Unit on Scenarios and Models, hosted by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) in Japan. He has also worked as a Research Fellow at IGES and held a JSPS-funded postdoctoral position at UNU-IAS. His academic background includes a position as Assistant Professor at Wolkite University, as well as experience as a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing expert within national geospatial institutions in Ethiopia. He has authored a wide range of peer-reviewed publications spanning biodiversity, ecosystem services and sustainability science.
Research Interests
• Geospatial analysis and landscape planning
• Ecosystem services and nature-based solutions
• Socio-ecological resilience and sustainability science
• Scenario development and positive nature futures
• Urban green infrastructure and bioproduction systems