Frank Baffour-Ata

Faculty Biography

Frank Baffour-Ata is a Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Frank obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. Frank holds an M.Phil. Degree in Environmental Science from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, and a BSc. Degree in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.Frank is a multidisciplinary Research Scientist who has employed several research techniques that combine a broad span of disciplines, including climate change and variability, ecology, and land-use and cover changes. Specifically, his research focuses on how climate change and variability impact food production in dryland farming systems and the adaptation practices employed by smallholder farmers to manage climate-related risks.Frank has received prestigious international awards, including the Excellence in Reviewing award for the Journal of Geography, Environment, and Earth Science International in 2021 and the Best Poster Presentation Award at the African Climate and Development Initiative's 5th Annual Conference on Climate Change and Development in 2020. Frank was recognized by Elsevier in 2022 during Open Access Week for publishing five open-access articles with Elsevier between 2019 and 2021. Five of his articles were linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), helping to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. He received the same award also in 2023, where 6 of his articles were linked to the SDGs. Frank is a KNUST Research Fund (KReF 8) multi-grant winner for the project “Building the Resilience of Smallholder Cashew Farmers to Climate Change and Variability: Using Climate-Smart Agricultural Interventions in Jaman North District, Ghana.Frank was a Research Scientist on the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (SWIFT) project aimed at delivering a step change in African weather forecasting capability and communication, from hourly to seasonal timescales, to protect the lives and livelihoods of African people while improving the economies of their countries. He has also served as a Research Scientist on the Future Leaders – African Independent Research (FLAIR) Fellowships for talented African early-career researchers. The theme of the project was "Building Resilience Using Climate-Smart Agricultural Interventions in Northern Ghana." Frank is currently a Guest Associate Editor for the journal "Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems", within the section “Land, Livelihoods, and Food Security”. In this role, he leads the Research Topic, “Exploring Integrated Strategies for Enhancing Global Food Security Amidst Socio-Economic and Environmental Challenges,” and oversees the editorial process for this collection.Frank has several publications on climate change and variability issues in international peer-reviewed journals.