Irene Mhlanga holds a degree in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Zimbabwe and a special honors degree in Monitoring and Evaluation from Lupane State University. She has over five years of experience as a researcher in various fields including climate change, wildlife and sustainable development. She has worked as a researcher and GIS officer at the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC), Environmental Management Authority (EMA) where she supervised the research and data collection for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) desertification project, and Centre for GIS as a GIS specialist. Irene was awarded a certificate of participation in Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) training. She is also a member of the International Hunting Discussion Forum (IHDF). Irene’s research interests are multidisciplinary spanning from wildlife economy, trophy hunting, protected areas management and climate change.