Lydia Chikumbi Biography
With over ten years of experience in academia and policy consulting, Dr. Chikumbi has collaborated with international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Food Programme (WFP), International Development Research Centre (IDRC), African Development Bank (AfDB), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Birdlife International, among others. Her expertise lies in policy review, non-market valuations, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at fostering low-carbon transitions and biodiversity conservation.
Currently serving as a Lecturer at the University of Zambia (UNZA), Dr. Chikumbi is engaged in curriculum development, teaching, and supervising student research in financial, environmental, and development economics. Prior to this, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at UCT, where she conducted policy analyses on Africa green economy and assessed institutional capacities for climate adaptation. She also worked for ZANACO and Mitsubishi Motors as Business Development Specialist and Sales Consultant respectively.
Publications
- Chikumbi, L., Scasny, M., Muchapondwa, E and Thiam, D. (2021). Premium price for natural preservatives in wine. A discrete choice experiment. Journal of Wine Economic Policy
- Chikumbi, L., Muchapondwa, E., and Thiam, D. (2020). Volatility linkages between Energy and Wine Prices in South Africa, EfD DP 20-07
- Chikumbi, L. and Scasny, M. (2021). Does 'Price Framing' in Discrete Choice Experiments influence empirical estimates in Environmental Valuation? The case study for the South African wine, AAWE & ERSA
Quantitative research methods
- Regional policy reviews for low-carbon transitions (IDRC).
- Economic valuation of Great Lakes fisheries (TNC).
- Training programs on natural capital for African financial institutions (AfDB).
- Assessing the economic impacts of illegal wildlife trade (VukaNow).