Research Scientist Socioeconomics Environmental Economics & Socioeconomics Ecosystem Valuation • Climate Vulnerability • Blue Economy • Policy Analysis Location Mombasa Years of Experience 11 years at KMFRI Research Interests Socioeconomics of sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and blue economy development; Climate change impacts, gendered vulnerabilities, and livelihood adaptation in coastal communities; Governance, tenure, and community-based management of mangroves and coral reefs; Economic valuation of marine and coastal ecosystem services; Policy analysis supporting food security, poverty alleviation, and Vision 2030 goals | Research Focus: Supporting sustainable exploitation and conservation of Kenya's fisheries and coastal resources through socioeconomic assessments, economic valuation of natural resources, and policy analysis aligned with national priorities for food security, poverty alleviation, and environmental protection. Nicholas John Karani is a Socioeconomics Research Scientist based at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) in Mombasa. He specializes in socioeconomic assessments, economic valuation of natural resources, economic analysis, policy analysis, gender analysis, data management, and project management. His work supports the sustainable exploitation and conservation of Kenya's fisheries and coastal resources, aligning with national priorities under Vision 2030 for food security, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and employment creation. He also serves as a KMFRI Internal Quality Management Systems (QMS) Auditor (ISO 9001:2015) and holds EIA Associate Expert registration (No. 8524). Karani holds an MSc in Environmental Economics at the University of Eldoret. He has expertise in R, SPSS, STATA, Excel and Power BI. Has completed extensive professional training in research methods, proposal and academic writing, Senior management skills, supervisory skills, performance management, and environmental impact assessment. His research portfolio includes numerous projects on fisheries valuation, climate vulnerability, blue economy gendered impacts, sea cucumber management, mangrove governance, aquaculture, and coastal community livelihoods, funded by partners such as UNEP, World Bank, WWF, The Nature Conservancy, WIOMSA, and KMFRI. He has co-authored peer-reviewed publications in journals including the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science and Regional Studies in Marine Science, along with technical reports and policy briefs. A member of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and the Environment Institute of Kenya, Karani has presented at international conferences, secured competitive grants, and received recognition for excellence in performance and exhibition leadership. Fluent in English and Kiswahili, he continues to advance evidence-based solutions for Kenya's marine and coastal sustainability. Research & Administrative Responsibility
Research Interest / Areas of Expertise
Academic Qualifications
Professional Membership
Professional Services
Awards and Honours MARG 1 Grant – FUNDREF: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100009106 Excellent Performer – KMFRI Staff Annual Evaluation, Balance Score Card (2021-2026) Selected Publications Runya RM, Karani NJ, Muriuki A, Mariga D, Kamau AW, Ndomasi N, Njagi K, Munga C, Okello JA (2022). Local perceptions, opportunities, and challenges of community-based ecotourism in Gazi Bay, Kenya. WIO J Mar Sci 21(2): 95-108. doi: 10.4314/wiojms.v21i2.9 Onyango O. H., Ochiewo O. J., Karani J. N. (2021). Socio-economic prospects and problems in under-exploited offshore marine fisheries: The case of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) in Kenya coastal fisheries. Regional Studies in Marine Science. 44 (101706). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2021.101706 Ochiewo J., Munyi F., Waiyaki E., Kimanga F., Karani N., Kamau J., Mahongo B. S. (2021). Livelihood impacts and adaptation in fishing practices as a response to recent climatic changes in the upwelling region of the East African Coastal Current. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science. DOI: 10.4314/wiojms.si2020.1.10 Links |
