Director General

Dr. Stephen Justice Nindi

Dr. Stephen Nindi has been appointed as the Director General of NLUPC since 16th of June, 2017. He previously worked as the Acting Director General since January 2016. Dr. Nindi holds a PhD in Political Ecology (Ecology & Environment) based on Area Studies from Kyoto University, Japan and MSc (Agricultural Engineering – Land Use Planning and Water Management Studies) from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania and BA-Hons (Land Use Planning & Environmental Studies) from University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Before his appointment at the NLUPC, he had worked as Principal Research Officer at Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), as Senior Research Fellow and Head of Resource Management Section level at Sokoine University of Agriculture Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SCSRD). He has also served as Regional Scientist with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and as Visiting Associate Professor at Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS), Kyoto University where he also served at other times as Visiting Scientist.

Dr. Nindi has an outstanding and proven experience working in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams in resources management issues and has taught at University level, researched, published in peer reviewed journals and presented various issues at national and international forums including sustainable land resources planning and management, environmental management, climate change adaptations and food security, biodiversity conservation, wildlife management and impact studies on livelihoods.

Dr. Nindi has served leading roles on various independent and collaborative research teams within and outside the country and has implemented several projects such as Technical Advisory Services for Biodiversity Conservation and Wetland Management in Kilombero Valley Ramsar Site, Tanzania; Linking biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services in the Great Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem (GSME) - drivers of change, causalities and sustainable management strategies (Kenya & Tanzania); Developing institutional capacity needs and entry points for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into development planning in Tanzania; the Use of Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge Systems on Seasonal Climate Forecasting for Enhancing Community Adaptation to Climate Variability; Adaptations to Climate change and variability among smallholder farmers in Tanzania and Community-Based Climate Change Adaptation for Enhancing Livelihoods and Wildlife Conservation. Other reference projects he implemented are Countrywide Great Elephant Censuses Project that covered all ecosystems in the country, Situational Analysis of the Status of Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resources Management in Tanzania; Development of a White Paper on Wildlife Conservation Strategies in Tanzania; Assessment of Viability of Game Controlled Areas in Tanzania; Conservation Research for East Africa’s Threatened Ecosystems; Socio-Economic Baseline Studies in Selected Wildlife Management Areas under the Financial Crisis Initiative/Cash-for-Work Program; Establishment of the technical prototypes of rural development activities for the integrated land resource management and environmental conservation in the fragile mountain landscape and Social Assessments for Integrated Water Resources Management in Tanzania. He has also served leading roles on projects titled Assessment of Change in Mangrove Habitats in Rufiji Delta through Remote Sensing; Changing land-use in the fragile Lake Nyasa catchments of Tanzania: A Lowland-Upland Nexus in Land Management project; Miombo Woodland Integrated Agro-ecological Research Project; Approaches to Sustainable Rural Development; Improving Research Strategy to assist Scaling-up of Pro-poor management of Natural Resources in Semi-Arid Areas of Tanzania and Integrating Dairy Goat & Root Crop Production for Increasing Food, Nutrition & Income Security of Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania. Other reference research activities are Fact-finding for Support of Agriculture in Developing Countries: Food and agri-business industries in Tanzania and Mozambique; Collaborative Baseline Study on Smallholders’ Livelihoods in the Striga Infested Maize Areas of Eastern and Southern Africa; Survey on the adoption of already promoted Cassava Brown Streak Disease tolerant varieties in Northern Mozambique, and Production of Catfish fingerlings using artificial propagation for poverty reduction and environmental conservation Lake Victoria Basin.