Moving research into practice – John Mutua takes up regional climate information role

by | Mar 31, 2026 | Africa, Anticipatory Action, Capacity Development, Climate Change, Drylands, Early Warning, Earth Observation, Eastern Africa, Evidence, Forecasts, Horn of Africa, ILRI, Livestock, Research, WISER |

We are pleased to congratulate John Mutua as he takes up a new role as a regional co-production champion in the WISER Africa Climate Information Capacity and Knowledge (CLICK) project.

In this role at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya, he will draw on his livestock and EO expertise to advance co-production approaches for weather and climate information services for climate resilience in East Africa.

This appointment demonstrates how the Observatory’s academic and capacity building streams serve as a training ground to deliver outcome-oriented and impactful research, preparing researchers to bridge gaps between science and real-world applications.

We are also pleased to congratulate John, our first Jameel Observatory PhD fellow, on completion of his PhD at the University of Edinburgh. Focused on ‘quantifying ruminant livestock diets in tropical regions: Insights from Kenya’, he used freely available earth observation (EO) data to estimate seasonal livestock diet quality and composition. Through the Observatory and partners, he was also able to start translating his research into policy options for African governments.

The WISER-CLICK programme

WISER CLICK is funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through the Africa Regional Climate and Nature programme. The project supports emerging leaders in the co-production of weather and climate services across Africa, working with key partners including the UK Met Office, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services. The programme’s goal is to strengthen the generation, accessibility, and uptake of weather and climate information services, moving beyond research outputs to practical tools that support climate resilience.

In his new role, John will advance co-production approaches to enhance weather and climate information services for climate resilience in East Africa. With a particular focus on the livestock and human health sectors, his work will include:

  • Identifying key barriers in co-producing weather and climate information for livestock and human health sectors
  • Tracking how climate information moves from regional to national to local levels
  • Co-producing tailored weather and climate information for the livestock sector
  • Working with regional partners to co-design priority test cases for climate information services
  • Contributing to learning on effective co-production approaches

Jameel Observatory as a research-to action training ground

John’s transition from Jameel Observatory fellow to a role that helps translate research into climate services illustrates the Observatory’s outcome and impact driven approach.

John’s research through the Jameel Observatory laid the foundation for his new role. Supported by the United Kingdom’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the University of Edinburgh and Community Jameel, his PhD research on quantifying ruminant livestock diets in tropical regions showed that:

  • Variation in livestock diet composition directly impacts diet quality and enteric methane emissions
  • Seasonal diet quality can be reliably estimated using EO data
  • EO-derived data can enhance the accuracy of livestock methane emissions estimates

Further, his research to policy engagement through a project with the International Livestock Research Institute and the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources showed that satellite-based approaches to map livestock feed supply and demand, when integrated with grounded data, can directly feed into and inform wider decision-making by governments across Africa.

Alongside the academic side, a key aspect of the Observatory approach is that fellows identify pathways for their research to contribute to action and impact.  For John, this meant:

  • Applied methods: EO-based approaches designed for practical application, not just academic publication
  • Stakeholder focus: Research grounded in real-world challenges facing East African communities
  • Scalable solutions: Methods using freely available data that can be widely adopted
  • Impact orientation: Training that emphasizes translating findings into actionable services

In his new role, by integrating some of his Observatory research methods into WISER’s co-production framework and networks of partners, he aims to:

  • Provide livestock keepers with timely, context-specific climate information
  • Support evidence-based decision-making at local, national, and regional levels
  • Strengthen collaboration between researchers, meteorological services, and end-users
  • Build capacity for sustained climate information services that respond to real community needs

Reflecting on his studies, Mutua said: “In my case, the Jameel Observatory’s investment in research for action ensured that my scientific insights don’t just remain in academic journals, but I can help translate them into practical tools and services to enhance climate resilience for vulnerable communities across East Africa.”

More:

WISER CLICK LinkedIn post (Mar 2026)

Jameel Observatory post (Feb 2026): Earth observation data informs African livestock feed policy options

John Mutua thesis summary (Feb 2026): Quantifying ruminant livestock diets in tropical regions: Insights from Kenya

Community Jameel news item (Feb 2026):  Jameel Observatory approach to satellite-based mapping of livestock feed reveals striking variations in Nigeria, informs first national feed inventory