Meley Mekonen Rannestad

Meley Mekonen Rannestad is a Researcher at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences specializing in forest and resource economics. She leads the interdisciplinary NFR project ClimateSmartForest with a 15 million NOK budget and received the prestigious Human Frontier Science Program research grant in 2024.

Her research examines climate-smart forest management, ecosystem services valuation, and sustainable land use in African dryland ecosystems. Recent publications focus on remote sensing applications for biomass estimation, armed conflict impacts on vegetation, and economic analyses of agroforestry adoption.

Rannestad represents NMBU at UN climate conferences (COP25, COP27, COP28) and investigates carbon sequestration potential, forest governance, and climate adaptation strategies in vulnerable ecosystems. Her work integrates natural and social science approaches to address climate change challenges.