Victor Villa

Climate security specialist with a strong quantitative and spatial analysis background, specializing in the impact of climate change on human security, including forced migration, food insecurity, and conflict. He serves as CGIAR’s Climate Security regional engagement representative in East Africa, following his prior role supporting regional work in West Africa from Dakar. His research focuses on identifying and quantifying how environmental stressors exacerbate existing vulnerabilities in fragile settings. He draws on spatial econometrics, large-scale survey data, satellite imagery, and conflict event datasets to uncover the complex pathways through which climate variability influences mobility and social stability. He has contributed to multiple cross-country projects in Africa and has collaborated with humanitarian and development organizations, including IOM and other UN agencies, to advance evidence-based approaches to climate security programming. He holds a Master of Science degree in Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.