Alastair no longer works at IDS.

Previously, Alastair’s research focuses climate change and development, with particular emphasis on Ethiopia. His work concerns the link between climate policy and practice in Ethiopia’s rural areas. Alastair is part of the IDS-led policy team of the Productive Safety Net Programme’s Climate Smart Initiative, an action research project which seeks to better mainstream climate change into Ethiopia’s rural safety net.

The IDS policy team have developed policy materials for federal-level decision makers, and guidance to help lower-level government officials, and programme implementers better understand vulnerability to climate change, in to support better public works and livelihoods planning within the PSNP. He is also researching how humanitarian policy can contribute to climate change adaptation and resilience building in Ethiopia, as part of the Courting Catastrophe project.

Since joining IDS, Alastair has supported a number of other projects, including the 2014/2015 qualitative evaluation of the PSNP in both highland and lowland regions, and an initiative to design innovation prizes to incentivise the development of innovative solutions to promote climate change resilience among the poorest.

Prior to joining IDS, Alastair worked as a researcher, specialising in climate change adaptation, for the Global Climate Adaptation Parntership. While at GCAP, he supported a number of projects including the development of a sectoral strategy for the Agricultural and Foresty Sectors as part of Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy.

Alastair holds a MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management from Oxford University.