Lars Otto Naess is a social scientist with more than 15 years experience with climate change, development and agriculture. His current research interests include social and institutional dimensions of adaptation to climate change, policy processes on climate change and agriculture at national and sub-national levels, the role of local knowledge for adaptation to climate change, and adaptation planning in the context of international development. Much of his recent work has focused on Africa, in particular Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi and Ethiopia.

He was project manager for the recently completed DFID/IDRC Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) ‘Research to Policy for Adaptation’ (RPA), and currently coordinates the Climate Change Theme of the DFID-funded Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC). Previous affiliations include Center for International Climate and Environmental Research-Oslo (CICERO), Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, and FAO. In addition to the work on local level adaptation with Action Against Hunger and Tearfund, he works with Trócaire on a household level vulnerability project covering four countries in Africa and Latin America.