Zeina Moneer
Visiting fellow
You can reach our researchers at nai@nai.uu.se
Dr. Zeina Moneer is an academic and senior climate practitioner whose work focuses on environmental politics in the Global South, with a particular focus on the MENA region. Alongside her academic and research contributions, she has extensive professional experience as a Senior Climate Change Program Manager with national and international NGOs, EU-funded development programs, and international development agencies. In these roles, she has led the design and implementation of diverse climate action initiatives across the MENA region and Africa.
Research
Dr. Moneer’s research examines the intersection of humanitarian and development issues, climate justice, gender-responsive climate policy, climate-induced displacement, and green transition in the MENA region and Africa. She also investigates climate-related security risks, environmental conflict management, and disaster response.
Her scholarly and policy-oriented work has been published in peer-reviewed studies, policy analyses, and journalistic platforms. Widely cited in media and policymaking circles, her research has influenced public debates and drawn attention to underexplored dimensions of environmental politics in the Global South.
In 2025, she was recognized by the Union for the Mediterranean as one of the changemakers shaping climate policy and solutions in the MENA region.
Current positions and affiliations
- Yervan Dialogue Fellow and Policy Leader
- Affiliated with the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in Middle East and North African Universities (ASSELLMU)
- Affiliated with the Arab Council for Social Sciences
- Affiliated with the American Political Science Association
- Founder and director of the Environmental Justice Network in the MENA region
- Visiting Fulbright Scholar, New Hampshire University, USA
- Former Climate Change Program Manager, Plan International, Egypt.
- Rising Policy Leader nominated by the Union for the Mediterranean
Background
Dr. Zeina Moneer holds a PhD from the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources of the University of Freiburg in Germany. She has been a Visiting Scholar to several international institutions, including:
- Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria University, Vienna
- Research Institute for a Sustainable Environment, American University in Cairo
- University of New Hampshire, USA (as a Visiting Fulbright Scholar)
Her professional expertise bridges research, policy, and practice to advance resilient and just climate solutions. She is also a regular commentator on environmental and climate issues in regional and international media, contributing opinion pieces in both Arabic and English to platforms such as Earth.org, Green Future, and Arabian Gulf Business Insight. Through her work, she amplifies marginalized voices, highlights underrepresented environmental challenges, and connects academic research with policy debates.
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