Wanjira Mathai’s journey into climate advocacy was no coincidence — it was part of her inheritance. As the daughter of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, Wanjira grew up immersed in environmental activism.
But rather than remain in her mother’s shadow, she built her own path with the same fire and even greater reach. Today, she stands tall as the Managing Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute (WRI), championing climate resilience and sustainable development across the continent.
From the start, Wanjira has always viewed the climate crisis through a deeply African lens — not just as an environmental problem, but a human one. She is a powerful voice behind the AFR100 (African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative), a continent-wide effort to restore over 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
For Wanjira, land restoration is more than planting trees — it’s about empowering rural communities, reviving livelihoods, and building a greener economic future.
Her work also focuses on equity, particularly the inclusion of women and youth in climate conversations. She believes that no real progress can be made without empowering those most affected by environmental degradation.
Through countless panels, initiatives, and community engagements, Wanjira continues to break down barriers and bring overlooked voices to the table. Her leadership style is collaborative, driven by data but grounded in empathy and justice.
But Wanjira’s path hasn’t always been smooth. Convincing governments and businesses to adopt long-term sustainable strategies in regions battling poverty, political instability, and economic pressure is no small feat. She’s faced skepticism, bureaucratic hurdles, and moments of deep frustration. Yet, through persistence and coalition-building, she’s turned skepticism into partnerships — and ideas into action.
Today, Wanjira Mathai is not only carrying forward her mother’s legacy — she’s expanding it. She represents a new era of African environmental leadership, one that fuses science with storytelling, urgency with hope, and policy with people. Through her tireless efforts, she is helping Africa not just respond to climate change, but lead the way in reimagining what sustainable growth looks like.
