Wanja Nyingi (Dr.)

Wanja Dorothy Nyingi is a freshwater biologist and ichthyologist. She is currently the currently the Head of the Freshwater Hub of the Sea Around Us-Indian Ocean program of the University of Western Australia in Perth. She was previously the Head of Ichthyology at the National Museums of Kenya, carrying out extensive ecological research on freshwater fish biodiversity in Kenya.

She joined ENB in 2009 and has broad interest in biodiversity, forests, climate change and energy. Wanja believes that while international policies are important, no effort in implementation will have successful impacts without grassroots efforts and has focused on working with local communities to restore ecosystem health. She believes tackling forest rehabilitation and restoring water catchments is the key.

Wanja studied at the University of Nairobi where she attained an undergraduate degree in Zoology and Master of Science in Hydrobiology. Thereafter she studied at the University of Montpellier II (France) attaining a second Master’s Degree and a Ph.D in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. In recognition for her work in wetlands biodiversity in East Africa, Wanja was awarded the Order of Academic Palms in 2016 – an Order of Knighthood of France for distinguished academics and figures in the world of culture and education.