Vhalinavho Khavhagali

Vhali attained his Master of Science degree in Botany and Ecology from the University of Cape Town. Then Vhali joined the cooperate world where he served as the Director: Climate Change Adaptation at the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), Deputy Director for Biodiversity and Climate Change, and as Senior Scientist at the Department of Environment and Nature Conservation, Northern Cape. Vhali has led the Climate Change Adaptation work in and outside South Africa in his capacity. Vhali has held various key positions, such as Climate Change Negotiator under UNFCCC and CBD, Project Manager for the Long-Term Adaptation Scenario, Provincial and Local Government Climate Change Support Programmes and the Cities Resilience Forum. Vhali is currently serving as the Co-Chair of the Executive Committee Member of the Warsaw International Mechanism of Loss and Damage under the UNFCCC. In 2014, Vhali was nominated as one of the Climate Change Leader by the Mail & Guardian Newspaper.

Due to his previous role, Vhali travelled around the globe to present and attend climate change and biodiversity meetings, in Australia, Germany, Poland, France, Peru, London. Vhalinavho is bonafide member of the Zion Christian Church. He is passionate about youth development, writing, poetry, and leadership.

Vhalinavho Khavhagali joins the ACDI as a PhD student focusing on climate change governance in South Africa. His research focuses on the process and approaches applied in the development of climate change policy and strategy, and to what extend does the national adaptation strategy address the countries challenges.