Climate justice project awarded £1.28m by UKRI

Commenting on the award, Dr Obani said: “I am delighted and honoured to be awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. This prestigious award affords me the funding, flexibility, and support to conduct world-class research and pivot into being a global leading expert in gender inclusive climate change governance over the next four years. 

Climate justice for women

“In addition to the invaluable opportunity to build my capacity and competence in interdisciplinary and multi-country research, the award also means that I can focus on co-creating knowledge that addresses the critical and under-researched question of how to redesign legal and political institutions to advance climate justice for women. I also look forward to influencing policy decisions to amplify women’s agency in climate change governance.” 

Dr Obani said her research would ultimately attempt to provide solutions to social and cultural gender inequalities that may be exacerbated by climate change. She added that the findings, which will be presented to governments in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya, could have wider implications, for example in Europe. 

Earlier this year, a group of Swiss women lodged a case against their own government with the European Court of Human Rights, arguing the Swiss government’s inadequate response to climate change - and in particular extreme heat events linked to global warming - was damaging their right to health and life. They won their case. However, the Swiss parliament subsequently voted to reject the court’s ruling, putting the issue of ‘climate justice’ centre stage. 

New frameworks

Dr Obani added: “There is also a wider point to be made in that not only are some groups of people, such as women, affected to a greater extent by adverse climate change impacts such as heatwaves – when, for example, it causes health problems or it means that women can no longer take part in recreation or education because they are spending more time on other tasks that are affected by climate change, such as collecting water or caring for relatives - they are also mainly excluded from the decision-making process. What we hope to do is to create a framework that enables laws and decision-making processes regarding climate change to be more gender inclusive.” 

The UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship award provides researchers and innovators with the freedom and long-term support to progress adventurous new ideas, and to move across disciplinary boundaries and between academia and industry. 

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford Professor Shirley Congdon said: “This is a prestigious award both for Dr Obani and the university. It shows that UKRI recognises the potential impact of this research. It is also further evidence that our university continues to be at the forefront of public discourse, while at the same time showing how academic research can affect policy change and make a positive difference to people’s lives.” 

Well deserved

Professor Sherif El-Khamisy, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, said: “We are immensely proud of Dr Pedi Obani for securing the prestigious Future Leaders Fellowship. Dr Obani's achievements and contributions to the fields of water security, policy, and governance are a testament to her dedication and expertise. Her interdisciplinary approach, encompassing critical legal studies and a commitment to human rights, climate justice, and gender equality, has not only advanced academic knowledge but also influenced policy and advocacy at both national and international levels. 

“This fellowship is a well-deserved recognition of her impactful research and her unwavering commitment to social justice and inclusive development. We look forward to the continued excellence and innovation that Dr Obani will bring to the University of Bradford and beyond." 

Professor Engobo Emeseh, Head of School of Law, said: “The School of Law is excited at this esteemed Future Leaders Fellowship awarded to our colleague, Dr Pedi Obani, who is an excellent researcher and an invaluable member of the team. This award is a testament to the School's strong research culture and commitment to making a positive impact through research, teaching, and wider engagement. 

“Pedi's research project for this award resonates with the School's focus on interdisciplinarity and sustainability, particularly the School's environment and sustainability regulation, and human rights, inclusion and justice research clusters. We keenly look forward to supporting her to deliver the project over the next four years.” 

UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said: "UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships provide researchers and innovators with long-term support and training to develop ambitious, transformative ideas. The programme supports the research and innovation leaders of the future to transcend disciplinary and sector boundaries, bridging the gap between academia and business. The fellows announced today demonstrate how these awards continue to drive excellence, and to shorten the distance from discovery to prosperity and public good.”

'Woman to watch'

Dr Obani is also a Visiting Research Fellow in Water, Security, Policy and Governance at the School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds and an Affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences, and a Research Fellow of Earth System Governance. 

She has a track record of producing high-quality research outputs and undertaking policy-oriented multi-disciplinary research projects at international and national levels. In 2019, the African Studies Association UK awarded Dr Obani the Mary Kingsley Zochonis Lecture Fellowship for her research on the human right to sanitation. 

She was also recognised by the Institute for African Women in Law as a ‘Woman to Watch’ for her commitment to equal opportunities for women through research, advocacy, and wider engagement. Before starting her academic career, Dr Obani qualified as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.