Scaling nature-based solutions for climate resilient infrastructure

Role: PhD Candidate in Uganda
Project: Applying systems thinking approach to post-harvest food loss, waste management and resource reuse in Kampala.
Affiliation: Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London
ORCID ID: 0009-0008-9369-2814
Email: patricianamakula256@gmail.com

Patricia Namakula is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London. Her research examines how systems thinking can inform integrated strategies to reduce post-harvest food loss, improve waste management, and strengthen food security and resource recovery in Uganda. Working with market vendors, smallholder farmers, local authorities, waste management agencies, and policymakers, she identifies practical interventions to reduce loss of high-value perishable crops, including bananas, tomatoes, and avocados.

Before embarking on her doctorate, Patricia spent more than eight years as Head of Research at the Centre for Multilateral Affairs, a think tank dedicated to advancing African and Global South perspectives in domestic, regional, and international policy discourses. Her research has addressed a range of geopolitical and environmental challenges, including the ecological impacts of refugee settlements in Eastern Uganda, Uganda’s contribution to regional peace support operations, and the governance frameworks and gender dimensions of AI policy in Uganda. Patricia holds a Bachelor (Hons) of Journalism and Communications and Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomatic Studies from Makerere University, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Policy and Governance from the Uganda Management Institute.

Growing up in Uganda, Patricia witnessed the paradox of widespread food insecurity alongside substantial losses of fresh produce in local markets. Seeing families struggle to secure even one meal a day while edible food was routinely discarded inspired her commitment to building more sustainable, equitable food systems.