Dr. Rachael McDonnell joined ICBA as Water Policy and Governance Scientist in 2008. She leads Climate Change Modelling and Adaptation Section under the Research and Innovation Division. She holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University.

She has an extensive experience, having worked previously on initiatives that examined water and food security policies, and the formal and informal governance systems and legal and regulatory frameworks around these key areas in a number of countries. She is passionate about climate change and linking science to policy especially for the development of climate change adaption strategies to address future insecurities in water and food.

She leads a team of researchers working on innovative data, technology, policy and governance solutions to support countries adapting to the challenges of water and food insecurity under a changing climate. The focus of many of their projects is developing adaptation solutions to increasing aridity and drought, which will likely have devastating consequences in this already dry region.  She has field experience in South Africa, South East Asia and Europe but by far the greatest time has been spent working in the Middle East/North Africa. Her work has been published in books, papers, and reports and featured on various radio, TV and social media outlets.