Douda Thiam is a former Research Fellow with the Geopolitics and Geoeconomics Program at APRI, where he focused on development and climate‐security dynamics in West Africa. He holds a BA in International Relations and Diplomacy from University of Trieste and an MSc in International Development Studies (sp. in Knowledge, Technology & Innovation) from Wageningen University & Research, and his master’s thesis examined Fulani pastoralists’ environmental governance within Senegal’s Great Green Wall initiative. Born in Italy to Senegalese parents and now based in Amsterdam, Daouda combines field-driven insights with desk research to inform policy on regional integration and climate resilience. Fluent in English, French, Italian and Wolof, he is passionate about integrating indigenous knowledge into climate change adaptation strategies and is focusing on the intersection of environmental governance, innovation and climate change.