Dr. Opha Pauline Dube is a global environmental change scientist and an Associate Professor at the department of environmental science at the University of Botswana, with a PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia, (2000). She has many years of experience teaching and supervising students while working with local, regional, and international research groups focusing on integrating social and biophysical aspects of the environment in areas of applications of Remote Sensing, land degradation/desertification, wildland fires, energy, and environment, gender, and environment, impacts of climate change, vulnerability and adaptation and environmental hazards and disasters.

She served at the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) Science Committee (2008-2010) and subsequently served as its Co-Vice Chair (2010-2015) while leading its synthesis theme on “Global Environmental Change and Least Developed Countries”. Dr. Opha served in the IPCC Working Group II assessment process since the 3rd report, as Coordinating Lead Author (CLA), contributing author, and review editor. She served as the Deputy Chair of the multi-sectoral Botswana Government National Climate Change Committee (2017-2019).

Currently, she is the Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Climate Research for Development in Africa (CR4D)-UNECA and Vice-Chair of the WMO Scientific Advisory Panel, and serving as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Elsevier Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability Journal.