Our People

Our Staff Members

Dr. (Mrs) Portia Adade Williams

Dr. (Mrs) Portia Adade Williams

Research Scientist

Specialities

Climate change adaptation

Contact Info

+233302773856

adadeportia@csir-stepri.org

About The Staff Member

Portia Adade Williams is a Research Scientist with CSIR-STEPRI, Ghana. She holds a PhD from University of Cape Town, South Africa. Portia was a Contributing Author (CA) on the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 2 (Chapter 09-Africa). She was also a CA on the 2022-2032 African Union’s Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plans covering gender and youth section to ensure inclusion of all relevant groups for equal voices to be heard in policy planning. Portia has extensive research and consultancy experience in the fields of climate adaptation and development, policy and livelihood analysis. Her research interest entails assessing feasibility and effectiveness of climate adaptation options to guide responses that reduce risk. This covers conducting multidimensional assessment of feasibility and effectiveness of adaptation options applicable to the African region while informing further research, policy and practice. She has been involved in a number of multiple donor-funded projects. She currently serves as one of three technical advisors to the African Group of Negotiators on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) framework development process. Her background and multidisciplinary experience facilitates her capacity to work, engage and communicate with various individuals and disciplines. Portia’s hope is to explore and utilize resources and opportunities in leading climate processes to step up more efficient policy implementation frameworks in Africa and the world at large.


Publications

List of Publications

Simpson, N.P., Mach, K.J., Tebboth, M.G., Gilmore, E.A., Siders, A.R., Holden, P., Anderson, B., Singh, C., Sabour, S., Stringer, L.C., Sterly, H., Williams P.A., Meyer, A.L.S., Cundill, G., Rosengaertner, S., Nunow, A., Amakrane, K. and Trisos, C. H.  2024. Research priorities for climate mobility. One Earth, 7(4), pp.589-607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.02.002

 

Simpson, N.P., Williams, P.A., Mach, K.J., Berrang-Ford, L., Biesbroek, R., Haasnoot, M., Segnon, A.C., Campbell, D., Musah-Surugu, J.I., Joe, E.T. and Nunbogu, A.M., 2023. Adaptation to compound climate risks: a systematic global stocktake. iScience, p.105926.

 

Campbell, B.M., Sene A., Attah, A., Ajayi, O., Fatunbi, W., Halloran, A., Jacobs-Mata, I., Kidane, R., Matsika, R., Nyambura, M., Nyirongo J., Prager, S., Solomon, D., Sunga, I., Totin, E., Williams, P.A., Winters, P., Zougmore, R., 2023. Advancing climate change adaptation in African food systems - Seven key priorities for action on adaptation https://clim-eat.org/africas-best-bets-for-transforming-agriculture-and-food-systems/ 

 

Simpson, N.P., Williams, P.A., Mach, K.J., Berrang-Ford, L., Biesbroek, R., Haasnoot, M., Segnon, A.C., Campbell, D., Musah-Surugu, J.I., Joe, E.T. and Nunbogu, A.M., (2023). Adaptation to compound climate risks: a systematic global stocktake. iScience, p.105926.

 

 Williams, P.A., Narra, S., Antwi, E., Quaye, W., Hagan, E., Asare, R., Owusu-Arthur, J. and Ekanthalu, V.S., 2023. Review of Barriers to Effective Implementation of Waste and Energy Management Policies in Ghana: Implications for the Promotion of Waste-to-Energy Technologies. In Waste (Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 313-332). MDPI.

 

Enriquez, A.S., Temoltzin-Loranca, Y., Llanos, E., Schrapffer, A., Jansen, S., Williams, P. A., Saravia, C., Perez, N., and Kuperman, M., (2022). “Factors influencing the effectiveness of group interactions among international and interdisciplinary early-career researchers working toward environmental sustainability in climate change”. Environ Dev Sustain (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02736-2

 

Zvobgo, L., Johnston P., Williams P.A., Trisos C., and Simpson N.P., 2022. "The role of indigenous knowledge and local knowledge in water sector adaptation to climate change in Africa: A structured assessment." Sustainability Science (2022): 1-16.

 

Berrang-Ford, L., Siders, A.R., Lesnikowski, A., Fischer, A.P., Callaghan, M.W., Haddaway, N.R., Mach, K.J., Araos, M., Shah, M.A.R., Wannewitz, M., .... Williams P.A.,....and Abu T.Z.,  2021. A systematic global stocktake of evidence on human adaptation to climate change. Nature Climate Change, pp.1-12 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01170-y

 

Leal Filho, W., Totin, E., Franke, J.A., Andrew, S.M., Abubakar, I.R., Azadi, H., Nunn, P.D., Ouweneel, B., Williams, P.A., Simpson, N.P. and Team, T.G.A.M.I., 2021. Understanding responses to climate-related water scarcity in Africa. Science of the Total Environment, p.150420 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150420

 

Williams, P.A., Sikutshwa, L. and Shackleton, S., 2020. Acknowledging indigenous and local knowledge to facilitate collaboration in landscape approaches—Lessons from a systematic review. Land9(9), p.331 https://doi.org/10.3390/land9090331

 

  • NOTE: Was the most downloaded article on Land_MDPI in October 2022

 

Williams, P.A., Karanja Ng'ang'a, S., Crespo, O. and Abu, M., 2020. Cost and benefit analysis of adopting climate adaptation practices among smallholders: the case of five selected practices in Ghana. Climate Services20, p.100198 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cliser.2020.100198

 

Fadairo O., Williams P. A. and Nalwanga F. S. (2019). Livelihoods and socio-economic impacts of climate variability and change among vegetable farmers in selected sites from Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria. Environment, Development and Sustainability: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10668-019-00514-1

 

Williams P. A., Crespo O. and Mumuni A. (2019). Adapting to changing climate through improving adaptive capacity at the local level – The case of smallholder horticultural producers in Ghana. Climate Risk Managementhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2018.12.004

 

Williams P. A., Crespo O., Mumuni A. and Simpson N. P. A systematic review of how vulnerability of smallholder agricultural systems to changing climate is assessed in Africa. Environmental Research Letters (2018): Vol.13 (10)  https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aae026

 

Williams P. A., Larbi R. T., Yeboah I and Frempong G.K (2018) Smallholder farmers’ experiences of climate variability and change on pineapple production in Ghana: Examining adaptation strategies for improved production. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. Vol.10 (2) pp 35-43 DOI: 10.5897/JAERD2017.0919

Williams P. A., Crespo O. and Essegbey G. O. (2017): Economic implications of a changing climate on smallholder pineapple production in Ghana. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, Vo.8, No.18.

 

Williams P. A., Crespo O., Atkinson J. A. and Essegbey G. O. (2017): Impact of Climate Variability on Pineapple Productivity in Ghana. Agric & Food Secur (2017) 6:26 DOI 10.1186/s40066-017-0104-x

 

Williams P. A., Akuffobea M., Onumah J. A., and Essegbey G. O. (2016): Determinants of meeting productive capacity of agro-processors in Ghana: What are the drivers? International Journal of Development and Sustainability, Vol. 5 No. 10, pp. 495-507.

 

Akuffobea M., Williams, P. A., Asare R. and Essegbey G. O. (2015). Implications of Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems on Technology Development and Dissemination in Ghana: A Review. International Journal for Agriculture Research and Innovation (IJARI). Volume 1, pp1-9

 

Onumah, J. A., Williams, P. A., Quaye, W., Akuffobea, M. and Onumah, E. E. (2014): Smallholder Cocoa Farmers Access to On/Off Farm Support Services and its Effect on Production. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, 4(10): 484-495

R & D Activities

Jan 2020- Dec 2025
Resilience Against Climate Change: Social Transformation Research and Policy Advocacy (REACH-STR) European Union
Jan 2020- Dec 2024
Hybrid Waste to Energy as Sustainable Solution for Ghana (W2E) The Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF)
2020 - 2024
Achieving Wider Uptake of Water Smart Solutions European Commission through Horizon 2020
2022-2024
Enhancing Farmers’ Uptake of Digital Technologies Through Empirical Research, Innovation and Policy Intervention (EFUDTRIPI) . International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE)
2021-2024
Distributional Impacts of Innovation Support for SMEs in Ghana (DIISS-G) International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada

Work Experience

April 2013 - Present
Research Scientist CSIR-Science and Technology Policy Research Institute, Accra, Ghana
April 2013 - Present
Research Scientist| Climate change, adaptation| IPCC AR6 Africa Contributing Author Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana
Sept 2007 - Jan 2012
Management Trainee/ Field Supervisor Ghana Oil Palm Development Company Limited, Kwae/Ghana

Education & Certification

2020
PhD - Environmental and Geographical Science University of Cape Town, South Africa
2011
MSc - Economics and Management Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden
2006
BSc - Agricultural Science (Hons) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Address

CSIR-Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (CSIR-STEPRI) P. O. Box CT. 519 Cantonments - Accra

Talk to us

233-302-773856
233-302-779401

 

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