Zain Alabweh

BIOGRAPHY:

Zain Alabweh is a climate resilience researcher and project leader at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness. Zain leads the Cactus Adaptation and Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) project, an international initiative exploring the use of cactus for food security, carbon sequestration, biofuel production, and land restoration. Through CAKE, she facilitates cross-regional collaboration with partners in Mexico, Chile, and Jordan to expand the sustainable use of cactus cladodes, leveraging indigenous knowledge, environmental science, and policy insights.

Zain’s global experience spans climate-smart agriculture, disaster preparedness, public health, energy transitions, and sustainable development. She previously worked at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, where she led projects managing climate risk for agriculture, health, and energy across Latin America and the Caribbean. Her work has included developing predictive models for agriculture, hydropower, and childhood malnutrition, designing national climate literacy programs, establishing climate services academies, and coordinating regional stakeholder engagement for climate finance mechanisms. At the heart of Zain’s work is community engagement, bridging technical expertise with grassroots needs through field work and direct engagement with those most affected by climate risk, ensuring that complex climate tools translate into tangible community benefits.

Zain holds a Master of Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is fluent in Arabic, English, and Spanish. She has advised international organizations on green strategies and welcomes opportunities for collaboration—feel free to reach out and connect with her directly.