Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma

Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma is the Chief of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems in the Ecosystems Division of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), based in Nairobi, Kenya. She provides strategic leadership and policy guidance on the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of coastal and marine ecosystems, advancing the sustainable blue economy, building climate resilience, and strengthening ocean governance across the Global South.

She holds an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business, a Masters in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation for Natural Resources Management from ITC, The Netherlands, and a BA in Geography and Environmental Studies from Addis Ababa University. She joined UNEP in 2018 as Senior Programme Management Officer and has since led one of UNEP's most strategically significant divisions for African coastal nations.

Her work spans transboundary water resource management, blue carbon ecosystem protection, and integrated coastal zone management — areas of growing importance for African island states and coastal communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy marine ecosystems.

At the NGO Summit 2026, Sinikinesh brings UNEP's global environmental authority to conversations on climate adaptation, ocean governance, and the role of NGOs in protecting Africa's invaluable coastal ecosystems for current and future generations.