Nabil Mohamed Ahmed

Minister of Higher Education and Research - Djibouti

• 1992 – 1995: PhD. Plant Biology and Physiology Etudes des mécanismes de tolérance au chlorure de sodium et à une contrainte hydrique d’Acacia nilotica ssp. cupressiformis et ssp. tomentosa. Mention très honorable. Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand. France (Effects of sodium chloride and water deficit on two Acacia nilotica ssp.: cupressiformis and tomentosa.).
• 1991 – 1992: Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies en Biologie Forestière. Etudes comparatives du Développement de six provenances d’Acacia nilotica cultivées en conditions hydriques limitantes et non limitantes. Université Nancy I, Vandoeuvre. France. (Effects of water deficit on the development of six Acacia nilotica ssp. from different provenances).
• 1990 – 1989: Maîtrise de Physiologie Végétale (Modules : Bioconversion du Carbone chez les Organismes Végétaux ; Statistiques appliquées à la Biologie ; Croissance et Développement chez les Végétaux Ligneux). Université Nancy I. Vandoeuvre, France.
• 1986 – 1987: Maîtrise de Biologie Cellulaire, Mention Génétique (option Génétique Générale et Génétique Moléculaire des Eucaryotes, Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaire animale). Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand II. France.
• 1985 – 1986: Licence de Biologie Cellulaire (option : Biochimie, Physiologie Animale et Végétale, Immunologie, Microbiologie). Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand II. France.
  1982 – 1985: Diplôme d’Etudes Universitaires Générales B2 (Biochimie, Chimie et Biologie Cellulaire). Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand II. France.
• 1982: Baccalauréat D. Académie de Bordeaux.

Additional Training
03/02 Mangrove and sea shore training courses. PERSGA (Organization for the Protection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden). Djibouti, 22-28/03/02.
05/00 Emergency Management. UNHCR/University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering Professional Development. Nairobi, Kenya.
12/00 Reef Check Methodologies. PERSGA. Charm El-Cheikh. Egypte, 08 – 12/12/00.
04/99 Energy saving techniques in refugees camps. Training of trainers. Djibouti 22-26/04/02.
12/97 Participatory Planning and Projects Cycles Management. Dakar-Senegal. UNDP/GEF/DSE.
10/96 Collection of Ascidians and Sponges. Bioactive Marine Natural Products Research Program. (ISERST/University of Nantes/Natural History Museum of Paris). Djibouti, 06/10 – 06/11.
06/96 Methodologies and Experiences on the Conservation and the Protection of the Marine Environment. PERSGA. Charm-El-Cheikh. Egypte, 1-6/06/96.
04/94 Project Concept Training. Lyon, France.

Professional Experience
Present day: Minister of Higher Education and Research
2011 – 1989
Title: Director of Life Sciences Institute
Institution: Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches de Djibouti (CERD).
Tasks:

• Implementation of Tissue Culture Program based on Date Palm propagation in the framework of the biosecurity and poverty alleviation strategy
• Coordinator of date palm promotion and development Projects – FAO TCP National Coordinator.
• Coordinator of the Islamic Bank project “Straightening of the date palm tissue culture lab capacities”
• Elaboration of Research/development programs and strategies (Agriculture, afforestation, Rehabilitation of degraded lands, Environment and Biodiversity protection, Natural Resources Management)
• Establishment of annual action plans and budgets
• Planning and monitoring research activities and projects
• Publications of research investigations and results

2005 -1999
Title: Chief of the project « Gender and Environment ».
Institutions: UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)/(CERD).
Tasks:

• Carry out baseline studies on natural resources management (water, soils, vegetation…).
• Implement an awareness raising environmental program for conservation and rehabilitation.
• Coordinate with UNESCO-PEER the implementation of an Environmental Education Program .
• Implement community based approaches to natural resources management .
• Coordinate and implement reforestation, home gardening and effective domestic energy activities in the frame of “food for work” strategy developed in partnership with the World Food Program (WFP).
• Organize workshops and meetings on environmental education and protection of 20 persons/ month (refugees, government and donors agencies staff, NGOs…).

Consultations
12/07 – 02/09
Title : consultant, National Capacities Self Assessment (NCSA)
Institutions: GEF/UNDP/Ministry of Environment
Tasks:

• use the Biological Diversity, Climate Change and Combat again Desertification reports to produce a document synthesis
• Draw up a list of intersectorial actions and issues, which are common between two or three conventions at the same time
• Facilitate the 2nd national workshop with the support of the international consultant and the 3 national consultants
• Submit the intersectorial issues list to the 2nd national workshop participants to produce, in majority or by consensus, a list of actions to reinforce capacities
• Produce, using the participants in the 2nd national workshop, an analysis of the intersectorial issues
• Produce, with the participants in this 2nd national workshop, a logical framework for each intersectorial issue.

05/07 – 09/07
Title: Environment and Natural Resources as a Core Asset in the IGAD Region for Wealth Creation, Poverty Reduction, and Sustainable Development”.
Tasks:

• Create Awareness and understand of the importance of the environment, and in particular the natural resources in improving the livelihoods of people in the IGAD region
• Demonstrate the importance of the environment and natural resource base as a key asset in livelihoods (PRSPs, MDGs, performance – indicators)
• Focus and explore linkages and possible interventions with existing instruments and facilities
• Discuss and agree to actions that will need to be undertaken to improve the integration of the environmental goods and services into macro-economic planning and PRSP performance towards the achievement of the MDGs.

02/07 – 04/07
Title : National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGHGI)
Institution: UNDP/GEF/Ministry of Environment
Tasks:

• Submit directives to guide the NGHGI in forestry and land uses sectors
• Identify the various specialized agencies in forestry and land uses sectors
• Record the existing databases
• Make an inventory of the various GHG emissions according to CIEC and CCNUCC methodologies
• Write a descriptive report on NGHGI in forestry and land uses sectors
• Specify uncertainties according to Good Practices’ Recommended by the GIEC
• Take part in the elaboration of the final NGHGI report.

05/06 – 07/06
Title : consultant “Pastoralism as a Conservation Strategy and Contributing towards Livelihood Security and Improvement”
Institutions: UNDP/GEF/IUCN
Tasks:

• Analyse and review existing published and “grey” literature with respect to pastoralism as a natural resource management strategy, and paying attention to the following main areas
• Assess the extent to which pastoralism as a conservation strategy is or can be compatible with other forms of land use (for example conservation areas, agriculture);
• Gather detailed information on the important stakeholder groups, and assess how important such groups are in decision making concerning pastoralism at a national level;
• Assess the disincentives and perverse policies which impact on pastoralism as a conservation strategy at local and national levels.

11/04 – 12/04
Title : consultant, National Capacities Self Assessment (NCSA)
Institutions: GEF/UNDP/Ministry of Environment
Tasks:

• Compile, update and analyse the current situation (policies, institutions, actions…) aiming to strengthen the word environment management capacities in the country.
• Organize meetings with representatives of government agencies, private sectors, NGO’s to identify constraints and opportunities for NCSA,
• Elaborate a project document supporting the country to conduct an NCSA program to respond to its Rio Convention commitments.

05/02 – 06/02.
Title : consultant; djiboutian coral reefs status
Institutions: UNEP/PERSGA/Ministry of Environment
Tasks:

• Compile and update documentation on djiboutian coral reefs
• Identify key areas related to the biodiversity and habitat conservation
• Assist the international consultant
• Elaborate the final report on the coral reefs status,
• Raise public awareness about the value of coral reefs and the importance of their conservation
• Built a national network on coral reefs monitoring and management.

10/01 – 02/01
Title: Consultant, Community Based of Natural Resources Management (CBNRM)
Institutions: IGAD /IUCN /USAID
Tasks:

• Compile and Update the existing documents on CBNRM in Djibouti
• Organize meetings with representatives of government agencies, private sector. NGO’s to identify constraints and opportunities for CBNRM
• Elaborate the national report
• Organize national workshops for consultations and revisions of the national report
• Attend sub-regional workshops for the elaboration of the sub-regional report on CBNRM

02/00 – 03/00
Title: Consultant (Agriculture Technology for the Semiarid African Horn).
Institutions: IGAD/INTSORMIL/USAID
Tasks: Analyse the past and present efforts of all public, private, NGO’s,as well as regional and international research and development program in Djibouti and its current capacity to deploy drought tolerant high yielding crops through research and extension.

03/99 – 04/99
Title: Consultant (Conservation of the Day Forest)
Institutions: UNDP/GEF
Tasks:

• Elaboration of a report describing the ecosystem of the Day forest.
• Identification of the main causes of the forest degradation
• Elaboration of a brief project for the Day Forest rehabilitation and conservation.

03/98 – 03/99
Title: Chief of the Pilot Project « Rehabilitation of degraded lands through the propagation of Frankincense species ».
Institutions: ISERST/Government of Japan
Tasks:

• Undertake water and soils baseline studies.
• Rehabilitate the project site thought the introduction and the propagation of frankincense species (B. papyrifera and B. sacra)
• Project Management and monitoring.

06/98 – 08/98
Title: Consultant (Strengthening NGO’s capacities)
Institution: United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Tasks:

• Elaboration of the project “strengthening NGO’s in the Republic of Djibouti”.
• Take into account national strategies and development objectives
• Develop a program to strengthen institutional and management capacities of Djiboutian NGO’s and integrate the gender development…
• Organize meetings (NGO’s, government, private sector and donors representatives) to find a national consensus to achieve the objectives of the project.

04/97 – 05/97
Title: Consultant, Mitigation of the desertification impacts on the environment
Institutions: UNDP (United Nations Development Program)/ Ministry of Environment
Tasks:

• Analyze and update the root causes of the desertification in the country
• Assess their impacts
• Identify appropriate activities aiming to mitigate the desertification impacts
• Elaboration of the final report in the framework of the National Action Plan For Environment (NAPE).

05/96 – 11/96
Title: Consultant
Institution: UNDP
Tasks:

• Elaboration of Strategies and Action Plan for the Development of the District of Ali-Sabieh
• Diagnostic the current situation
• Organise workshops gathering all the stakeholders
• Identify key persons and establish a task force
• Identify appropriate strategies and actions for the development of the district
• Elaboration of the final report.

01/96 – 02/96
Title: Consultant (Traditional Water Management (TWM))
Institution: International Secretariat for Water/ISERST
Tasks:

• Elaboration of a document inventorying, describing and analyzing Traditional Water management Techniques in Djibouti.
• Organize meetings gathering all the stakeholders
• Establish a program on the development of the TWM.

1987 – 1989
Professor of Biology/ Djiboutian Ministry of National Education.

Networks
Head of the Environment and socio-economy department of Bender-djedid NGO.
National Focal Point f of the Horn Africa Regional Environmental Network
Member of the IGAD Task Force for Sciences and Technologies.
Member of the Environment technical committee in Djibouti.
Member of the National Biodiversity Committee
Team Leader for the Conservation of Protected Habitats in Djibouti. PERSGA Project.
National Coordinator of Reef Check “Global Survey of Coral Reefs”
Member of the Biotechnologies use for Date palm propagation network

Languages
English, French, Arabic, Somali