Area of Expertise

Conservation, Tourism, and Rural Development

Work Experience

Dr. Teresia Rafael Olemako (PhD) is a recognized expert in conservation, tourism, and rural development, with specialized training in livelihoods, wildlife management, forestry, gender, governance, and development studies. Currently nominated as the Lead Author in Chapter 1: Transformative change and a sustainable world under IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services  IPBES Transformative Change Assessment: Chapter 1. Transformative change and a sustainable world

Dr. Teresia brings more than a decade of conservation expertise in Africa including 20 years of experience as a Regional Forest Programme Coordinator in East Africa, Madagascar, and Mozambique under the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) mainly to support and facilitate East Africa Timber Trade Stakeholders’ Forum in partner states under East Africa Community (EAC) as well as member states in Southern African Development Community (SADC). She served as Deputy Chief of Party at the Jane Goodall Institute in Western Tanzania, a USAID project (Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania). Further, worked as a Lecturer under the tourism department at the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Tanzania http://www.mwekawildlife.ac.tz and as a Community Based Conservation Officer in Tanzania National Parks https://www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz. Additionally, she worked closely with women entrepreneurs and local communities to provide sustainable clean energy solutions at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Tanzania country office. Additionally, worked as a Lecturer in Tourism and Gender, Peace and Security at the Institute of Accountancy Arusha, Tanzania (IAA), and as a Coordinator of the International Collaboration Unit at IAA.