Dr Debra Roberts, a member of the PEOPLE Steering Group, will be inducted into the Earth Hall of Fame Kyoto in November 2026 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to global environmental conservation.
Established to honour individuals whose work has advanced the protection of the global environment, the Earth Hall of Fame Kyoto commemorates its inductees at the venue where the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997. Previous inductees include Wangari Maathai, Christiana Figueres and Johan Rockström.
Dr Roberts’ career connects local environmental action with international climate science and policy. Over three decades, she led environmental planning, biodiversity and climate protection work for the eThekwini Municipality in Durban, South Africa. She also served as Co-Chair of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change during its Sixth Assessment cycle, becoming the first local government official and the first woman from Africa to hold this position.
Reflecting on the honour, Dr Roberts emphasised the collective effort behind her achievements and acknowledged the practitioners, policymakers and scientists with whom she has worked. She highlighted the often-overlooked contributions of urban practitioners who bring local knowledge and science together to improve cities, infrastructure and the well-being of vulnerable communities.
Her recognition reflects principles central to PEOPLE: Progressing EW4All Oriented to Partnerships and Local Engagement, a project of the World Weather Research Programme. PEOPLE seeks to strengthen equitable and sustainable early warning systems by placing people’s experiences, priorities and knowledge at the centre of research and implementation.
As a member of the PEOPLE Steering Group, Dr Roberts contributes experience in connecting community realities with policy and practice. This perspective informs the project’s work across Southern Africa and South Asia, where collaboration with community networks and national meteorological and hydrological services supports the development of inclusive early warning systems.
Her induction highlights the contribution of locally grounded knowledge and collaborative action to global environmental progress, reinforcing the importance of involving communities in decisions that shape their resilience and well-being.
