Jemal S. Ahmed
Jemal Seid is a Data Science Specialist in Climate Services and Agronomy at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He holds a PhD in AgroBiodiversity from Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Italy, an MSc in Atmospheric Physics from Addis Ababa University, and a BSc in Applied Physics from the University of Gondar. With over a decade of experience, Jemal specializes in climate-smart agriculture, crop-climate modeling, geospatial analytics, and developing digital decision-support tools to empower smallholder farmers and policymakers.
Previously, Jemal was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, contributing to innovative climate and agricultural modeling research. During his tenure as a Visiting Research Fellow at the Columbia Climate School, he focused on adapting African agriculture to climate variability by improving seasonal and sub-seasonal forecasting systems and developing a water balance-based planting date prediction model. As a Climate Smart Agriculture Consultant for CGIAR, he led the development of the Ethiopian Digital AgroClimate Advisory Platform (EDACaP), a transformative tool delivering tailored climate information to farming communities. Additionally, as a Remote Sensing Specialist at FAO, Jemal spearheaded the customization of the Agricultural Drought Monitoring and Prediction System (NextGen ASIS).
Earlier in his career, Jemal led climate and geospatial research programs at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, focusing on enhancing agricultural resilience in Ethiopia. He also served as a Lecturer at Haramaya University, contributing to the academic and research development of physics and environmental sciences.
Currently, Jemal works with the Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT - Climate Action team, contributing to initiatives such as the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research in Africa (AICCRA) and Excellence in Agronomy. He plays a key role in developing the WaterPoint monitoring in Ethiopia, AgData Hub, AgWiSE, an advanced agronomic recommendation engine that provides farmers with tailored advice on fertilizer use, planting schedules, and best practices, and the NextGen Advisory System, which leverages innovative technologies to deliver precision agronomy solutions.
