Mirriam Makungwe

Postdoctoral Fellow - Scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture & Climate Information Services

Research team

Water, food and ecosystems > Agricultural water management transformations

Areas of expertise

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Soil health Agriculture mapping Scaling Capacity building

Mirriam Makungwe is a soil scientist specializing in Integrated Soil Fertility Management, with a PhD in Integrated Soil Fertility Management from the University of Zambia. Currently a Postdoctoral Fellow, she focuses on scaling climate-smart agriculture and improving soil health. She has over 14 years of extensive background in agricultural research and development and has led impactful projects on sustainable land management and enhancing smallholder resilience to climate change. Makungwe’s internationally awarded research emphasizes soil health, water management and agricultural productivity. Committed to transformative solutions, she collaborates across sectors to promote climate adaptation and sustainable farming practices in Southern Africa and beyond.

Latest news for Mirriam Makungwe

Sintayehu A. Abebe from Ethiopia presents the Lake Tana Monitoring Dashboard during a 2025 DIWASA symposium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “Lake Tana Monitoring Dashboard” showed how visualization enhances water-governance decisions in Ethiopia. Photo: IWMI

Blogs

Digital innovations for community impact across Africa

IWMI is helping African researchers transform satellite data into actionable water intelligence, through DIWASA, strengthening local capacity and supporting smarter water decisions ...

February 13, 2026

Extension Officer Edward Sichivula cautioning farmers to prepare for the risks that come with increased rainfall. Photo: Agrey Wapamesa /IWMI

Blogs

Do national weather forecasts help farmers make daily decisions?

In Zambia’s Chisamba district, IWMI-trained agriculture officers convert jargon-heavy weather forecasts into practical advice farmers can use to plan crops and manage water ...

January 23, 2026

The Magoye River in Mazabuka District, Zambia. Photo: ACRE Africa

Blogs

IWMI pilots index-based flood insurance in Zambia

This groundbreaking approach to insurance can help farmers receive payments faster after disasters and become more climate resilient ...

June 12, 2025

Consultation with communities and local officers during the preparation for the simulation drill in Monze District, Zambia. Photo: IWMI

Blogs

Lessons from flood anticipatory action in Zambia

Embedding anticipatory action in national systems, among other actions, can better protect vulnerable populations from predictable shocks ...

January 6, 2025

Latest publications by Mirriam Makungwe

Report

Water and Soil Accelerator Inception Report: Sustainable Soil and Water Management from Farm to Landscape in Malawi and Zambia

International Water Management Institute | March 12th, 2026

Nkosi, Mahlatse; van Rooyen, André; Mabele, Thato; Chinembiri, Evans; Jacobs-Mata, Inga; Matchaya, Greenwell C.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Dirwai, Tinashe Lindel; Kasoma-Pele, Winnie; Mapedza, Everisto D.; Makungwe, Mirriam; Nortje, Karen; Mutenje, Munyaradzi; Roman, Henry

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Abstract

Report

Co-design and implementation of Index Based Flood Insurance (IBFI) in flood proofing communities of Mazabuka District, southern Zambia

International Water Management Institute | February 13th, 2025

Umer, Yakob; Makungwe, Mirriam; Amarnath, Giriraj; Jacobs-Mata, Inga; Banda, N.; Njoroge, M.

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Abstract

Brief

Soil health: The bedrock for integrating agrifood systems into the Rio conventions

CGIAR | November 28th, 2024

Masso, Cargele; Mongína, Deborah; Makungwe, Mirriam; Devkota, Mina; El Din Omar, Mohie; Upla, Pauliina; Crichton, Rhiannon; Ezekannagha, Oluchi; Rasche, Frank

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