Leonardo Medina

Leonardo is a Climate, Peace and Security Specialist at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, where he supports research and policy engagement on conflict-sensitive climate governance, environmental peacebuilding, and adaptation in fragile and conflict-affected settings. His work focuses on understanding how climate change, environmental pressures, and governance systems interact to shape risks of conflict and opportunities for collaboration across scales.
Leo recently completed his PhD in Agricultural Sciences at Humboldt University of Berlin, with a specialization in governance and economics of natural resources. His doctoral research examined how institutional arrangements influence conflict and collaboration within climate adaptation processes across diverse contexts in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. He also has post-graduate studies on environmental sciences from Wageningen University, in The Netherlands, and public policy and administration from Birmingham University, in the United Kingdom.

At the Alliance, Leo contributes to research and advisory work on climate security, adaptation governance, and peacebuilding. He has collaborated with governments, civil society organizations, and international partners in countries including Kenya, the Philippines, Guatemala, Zambia, Senegal, and Brazil. His experience includes participatory assessments, policy analysis, comparative institutional research, and the co-development of tools to strengthen conflict sensitivity in climate and environmental programming.

Leo has worked closely with local communities, policymakers, and practitioners to support the integration of climate, peace, and security considerations into governance processes and development initiatives. Before joining the Alliance, he worked with organizations including Food and Agriculture Organization, GIZ, and KPMG on projects related to climate policy, sustainability governance, and institutional strengthening.