August 2023: Dr Mirriam Makungwe – African Female Researcher of the Month

August 2023: Dr Mirriam Makungwe – African Female Researcher of the Month

Mirriam Makungwe is a seasoned professional with a Ph.D. in Integrated Soil Fertility Management from the University of Zambia. Currently serving as a Research Officer at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), she brings over 12 years of hands-on experience in the agricultural sector, specializing in collaborating with smallholder farmers to implement strategic initiatives that tackle challenges within agriculture and food systems.

Mirriam’s career aspiration revolves around becoming a pivotal figure in enhancing food security. She aims to achieve this by conducting cutting-edge research that centers on the application of spatial modeling of soil fertility data. Her research aims to offer solutions that significantly elevate the quality of life and health of rural communities.

In 2022, Mirriam Makungwe clinched the coveted 2022 CSC Research Output Stream award. This prestigious recognition was bestowed upon her for her groundbreaking article, “Assessing Land Suitability for Rainfed Paddy Rice Production in Zambia,” published in Geoderma Regional. As a distinguished 2019 Split-site Scholar from Zambia, she successfully attained a Ph.D. in Integrated Soil Fertility Management from both the University of Nottingham and the University of Zambia.

Mirriam’s research addresses the pressing issue of low agricultural productivity, a critical barrier to achieving food security and fostering rural prosperity in Zambia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her article fills a crucial gap by evaluating the suitability of Zambia’s land for cultivating rice, specifically rainfed paddy rice. This research not only benefits farmers but also informs policymakers, the private sector, and researchers along the value chain.

Her study outcomes have led her to delve deeper into researching alternative rice crops, specifically irrigated and upland rice production. Encouragingly, her findings indicate promising potential for irrigated upland rice production in Zambia. These discoveries hold the potential to support Zambia’s National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS) and bolster rice crop production models in the Zambezi region.

Mirriam’s research endeavors were undertaken during her Commonwealth Split-site Scholarship at the University of Nottingham’s School of Biosciences and the Future Food Beacon. She actively contributed to the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) under the Sustainability Nexus Research Cluster and Ecosystem Management and Services Program (SNR/ESM).

In acknowledgment of her research contributions, Mirriam earned recognition as a One Planet Laureate Candidate by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD). This distinction is part of a three-year career development program aimed at cultivating a network of scientific leaders committed to pioneering research that aids Africa’s smallholder farmers in adapting to a changing climate.

Following the completion of her Ph.D. in April 2022, Mirriam secured an Innovative Metrics and Methods for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Her research for this fellowship entails evaluating Zinc supply in staple crops and soil across diverse soil types in Zambia.

Currently, Mirriam is a Research Officer at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), specializing in Innovation Scaling. She’s an active member of Zambian Women in Agricultural Research and Development (ZaWARD) and serves as an Africademics Scholarship Ambassador. Her research aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 12, as well as the CSC Development Theme Science and technology for development.

Mirriam Makungwe, based in Zambia, also contributes her expertise as an Agricultural Water Resource Management and Horticulture Expert at NIRAS International Consulting. Armed with a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Integrated Soil Fertility Management from the University of Zambia, she has garnered several prestigious scholarships, including the Commonwealth split-site scholarship, the One Planet fellowship by AWARD, and the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) scholarship.