Kidan Araya

Kidan Araya is a climate communications strategist with nearly a decade of experience working across Africa and the United States. She advises international organizations on how to strategically respond to and effectively communicate climate policy and a just energy transition. Currently, she serves as a Women Leaders in Energy and Climate Fellow at the Atlantic Council and leads on climate communications and content at the World Benchmarking Alliance. Ms. Araya is also a U.S. Congressional Witness who testified in November 2021 on her experience working to combat the illicit natural resource trade in Africa. She also led a speaking program at the U.S. Embassy in The Gambia in June 2021 on illegal deforestation and climate finance. She is also a 2021-2022 Climate Security Fellow at the Center for Climate and Security. Additionally, Ms. Araya previously served as a Board Member for the Africa Policy Accelerator, a network consisting of the next generation of U.S.- Africa policymakers, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. She was recently named as one of the top 10 Twitter accounts leading conversations on climate change issues in Africa by Africa No Filter. Ms. Araya holds a master’s degree in geography from the University of Washington at Seattle and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and environmental studies from Beloit College.