Stella Shumba

Dr Dorcas Stella Shumba is a climate adaptation researcher serving as a Carnegie DEAL Fellow and Postdoctoral Researcher at ACDI. Her research interests overall include, equitable climate resilience, climate adaptation financing and sustainable agriculture and food systems resilience, focusing on rural men and women in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Shumba's current research is centred around the evaluation of the efficacy of weather index insurance as a strategic tool for smallholder farmers in their efforts to adapt to the changing climate in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, she undertakes in-depth investigations into the gender dynamics within the Just Energy Transition, particularly within coal-producing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Beyond her individual research endeavours, Dr Shumba is an active contributor to the wider academic community. She provides support to the World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP) Working Group on Loss and Damage. This contribution involves conducting semi-systematic literature reviews and data analysis with the aim of producing knowledge outputs including policy briefs. Furthermore, she is engaged in a Wellcome Trust-sponsored project aimed at comprehending the impact of climate change on human health, actively conducting key informant interviews with leading researchers in this domain.

Dr Shumba has recently been honoured with the 2023 Adaptation Futures Fellowship award. This prestigious accolade includes a travel grant enabling her participation in the forthcoming Adaptation Futures Conference scheduled to be held in Montreal, Canada. Additionally, she has been bestowed with the 2023 Sheila N. Orenze Memorial Leadership Fellowship award and has been selected as a rapporteur for the upcoming 2023 Microinsurance Conference in Accra, Ghana.

Beyond her scholarly pursuits, Dr Shumba is deeply committed to climate advocacy. She has served as a Green Ambassador for Climate Change in Africa, raising awareness about climate issues within local communities since 2021. To further her engagement in climate policy and decision-making processes, she recently completed a comprehensive Climate Leadership and Diplomacy Course under the auspices of the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) program as well as the AAAS-TWAS Science Diplomacy Course. Notably, she has been nominated by the National Focal Point in Zimbabwe to be part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Roster of Experts, and is currently undergoing training to become a Technical Expert Reviewer of Biennial Transparency Reports.

Adding to her diverse portfolio, Dr Shumba serves as an Agricultural Development Consultant for the Global Centre for Gender Equality (GCfCE), contributing her gender expertise to agricultural projects sponsored by the Gates Foundation. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO Steel). Dr Shumba earned her PhD in Development Studies from Massey University in New Zealand.