--- id: "https://www.chngmkr.org/wanjira-mathai#entity" name: "Wanjira Mathai" type: Person url: "https://www.chngmkr.org/wanjira-mathai" location: "Nairobi, Kenya" city: "Nairobi" country: "Kenya" coordinates: [-1.2577, 36.7945] recommended_by: ["Florian Guillaume"] collections: ["Living Legends", "Co-Being", "Arts & Culture"] website: "https://www.wri.org" image: "https://www.chngmkr.org/photo/og/chngmkr-wanjira-mathai-nairobi-78d5a7.jpg" sameAs: ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79996197", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanjira_Mathai"] languages: ["en", "fr", "it", "es", "zh", "sw"] date_added: "June 2026" --- # Wanjira Mathai Nairobi, Kenya ## Why Florian Guillaume recommends Wanjira Mathai > “She carries the Green Belt Movement forward while shaping climate policy for the continent. With her, the link between restored land and restored dignity becomes obvious.” > > Florian Guillaume, founder of CHNGMKR, June 2026 ## About Wanjira Mathai Wanjira Mathai is a Kenyan environmental advocate leading climate and landscape restoration work across Africa as Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute. She chairs the Wangari Maathai Foundation, continuing the legacy of her mother, Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, by championing tree-growing, youth leadership and women's empowerment. Her work bridges grassroots movements like the Green Belt Movement with global policy, focusing on the AFR100 initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded African land by 2030. ## About this card - Recommended by: [Florian Guillaume](https://www.chngmkr.org/correspondents/florian-guillaume.md) - Collections: [Living Legends](https://www.chngmkr.org/directory/living-legends.md), [Co-Being](https://www.chngmkr.org/directory/co-being.md), [Arts & Culture](https://www.chngmkr.org/directory/arts-culture.md) - Website: https://www.wri.org - Page: https://www.chngmkr.org/wanjira-mathai - Français: https://www.chngmkr.org/fr/wanjira-mathai - Italiano: https://www.chngmkr.org/it/wanjira-mathai - Español: https://www.chngmkr.org/es/wanjira-mathai - 中文: https://www.chngmkr.org/zh/wanjira-mathai ## Français > “Elle porte le Green Belt Movement tout en façonnant la politique climatique du continent. Avec elle, le lien entre terres restaurées et dignité restaurée devient évident.” Wanjira Mathai est une défenseuse kényane de l'environnement qui pilote le travail de restauration du climat et des paysages à travers l'Afrique, comme directrice générale Afrique et partenariats mondiaux au World Resources Institute. Elle préside la Wangari Maathai Foundation et poursuit l'héritage de sa mère, la prix Nobel de la paix Wangari Maathai, en défendant la plantation d'arbres, le leadership des jeunes et l'émancipation des femmes. Son travail relie des mouvements de terrain comme le Green Belt Movement aux politiques mondiales, autour de l'initiative AFR100 qui vise à restaurer 100 millions d'hectares de terres africaines dégradées d'ici 2030. ## Italiano > “Porta avanti il Green Belt Movement mentre plasma la politica climatica del continente. Con lei, il legame tra terra restaurata e dignità restaurata diventa evidente.” Wanjira Mathai è un'ambientalista keniana che guida il lavoro di ripristino del clima e dei paesaggi in tutta l'Africa come direttrice generale per l'Africa e le partnership globali al World Resources Institute. Presiede la Wangari Maathai Foundation, proseguendo l'eredità di sua madre, la premio Nobel per la pace Wangari Maathai, con la difesa della piantumazione di alberi, della leadership giovanile e dell'emancipazione femminile. Il suo lavoro collega movimenti di base come il Green Belt Movement alle politiche globali, concentrandosi sull'iniziativa AFR100 per ripristinare 100 milioni di ettari di terre africane degradate entro il 2030. ## Español > “Lleva adelante el Green Belt Movement mientras da forma a la política climática del continente. Con ella, el vínculo entre tierra restaurada y dignidad restaurada se vuelve evidente.” Wanjira Mathai es una defensora del medio ambiente keniana que lidera el trabajo de restauración climática y de paisajes en toda África como directora general para África y Alianzas Globales del World Resources Institute. Preside la Wangari Maathai Foundation, continuando el legado de su madre, la premio Nobel de la Paz Wangari Maathai, con la defensa de la plantación de árboles, el liderazgo juvenil y el empoderamiento de las mujeres. Su trabajo tiende un puente entre movimientos de base como el Green Belt Movement y la política global, centrándose en la iniciativa AFR100 para restaurar 100 millones de hectáreas de tierras africanas degradadas antes de 2030. ## 中文 > “她延续绿带运动，同时塑造着整个大陆的气候政策。有了她，恢复的土地和恢复的尊严之间的联系变得显而易见。” Wanjira Mathai 是肯尼亚环保倡导者，作为世界资源研究所非洲及全球伙伴关系董事总经理，她领导着遍及非洲的气候与景观修复工作。她担任 Wangari Maathai 基金会主席，延续母亲、诺贝尔和平奖得主 Wangari Maathai 的遗产，倡导植树、青年领导力和女性赋权。她的工作把绿带运动这样的草根运动与全球政策连接起来，重点推动 AFR100 倡议：到2030年修复1亿公顷退化的非洲土地。 ## Kiswahili > “Anaiendeleza Green Belt Movement huku akiunda sera za tabianchi kwa ajili ya bara hili. Pamoja naye, uhusiano kati ya ardhi iliyorejeshwa na utu uliorejeshwa unakuwa dhahiri.” Wanjira Mathai ni mtetezi wa mazingira kutoka Kenya anayeongoza kazi ya tabianchi na urejeshaji wa mandhari kote barani Afrika, akiwa Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Afrika na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa katika World Resources Institute. Yeye ni mwenyekiti wa Wangari Maathai Foundation, akiendeleza urithi wa mama yake, mshindi wa Tuzo ya Amani ya Nobel, Wangari Maathai, kwa kutetea upandaji miti, uongozi wa vijana na uwezeshaji wa wanawake. Kazi yake inaunganisha mavuguvugu ya mashinani kama Green Belt Movement na sera za kimataifa, ikilenga mpango wa AFR100 wa kurejesha hekta milioni 100 za ardhi iliyoharibika barani Afrika ifikapo mwaka 2030.