Christian Muragijimana

Christian is a PlanAdapt Fellow, based in Kigali, Rwanda.

Proficient in public health-focused designs, he is currently serving as the Director, Health Strategy for Hope Assistance Foundation. Christian has more than 9 years of experience in climate change adaptation, with a special focus on Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Climate Resilience sectors in the Horn of Africa. In his previous role as the Africa Regional Director for Virridy, his responsibilities entailed programmatic support in designing, provision, coordination, collaboration, M&E of projects across the African region working closely with partners. The key aspect revolved around provision of modern systems such as satellite and cellular IoT-driven solutions to monitor usability and maintenance of water systems and services, to address water scarcity and improve water security in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands. Christian’s previous experience led to his current passion intersecting climate change, culture and health. Cultural significance of health as not only a descriptive and explanatory concept but also an ultimate renewable resource for reinforced, inclusive and sustainable public health adaptation to climate change.

He is keen on strengthening home-grown solutions to locally-based problems, culturally friendly and community-centered environmental and public health interventions. As an enthusiast of systematic processes of applied research, his special focus is on the use of multiple perspectives and methods to have a deeper and better understanding of tools, strategies and systems of thinking to ensure that our “science-driven” health interventions are tailored as “strengthened home-grown solutions”. This is aimed at influencing policy and practice towards not only fostering resilience-driven public health interventions in climate-sensitive and fragile contexts but also managing environmental resources. Christian is passionate about contextualized modern public health interventions. Tailored towards improving Community-Based Adaptation (CBA), alleviating climate-sensitive health and ecological threats-induced burden on the most vulnerable systems, populations and regions that bear an inequitable burden.

Christian holds a BSc degree in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Rwanda, MSc degree in Public Health from the University of Eastern Finland. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Eastern Finland majoring in Public Health in Humanitarian Crises – intersecting Climate Change, Cultural Significance of Health – Traditional and Ecological Knowledge (TEK) towards Inclusive and Sustainable Adaptation Strategies.

Selected publications that Christian has (co-)authored:

• The Drought Resilience Impact Platform (DRIP): Improving Water Security Through Actionable Water Management Insights
• Product Design Supporting Improved Water, Sanitation, and Energy Services Delivery in Low-Income Settings
• Improved Drought Resilience Through Continuous Water Service Monitoring and Specialized Institutions—A Longitudinal Analysis of Water Service Delivery Across Motorized Boreholes in Northern Kenya

For more info, see Christian’s LinkedIn page.