Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse is a distinguished Physicist and Climate Scientist, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority of Ghana, a position she has held since January 2025, following her appointment by the President of Ghana.
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Before this role, she was the Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Ghana from August 2023 to January 2025, making her the first female to become a Head of the Department. She also holds an international leadership position as Vice-Chair of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Previously, Prof. Klutse was a Senior Research Scientist at the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, where she managed the Remote Sensing and Climate Centre. Her expertise lies in climate modelling, climate change impacts and the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies, with a particular focus on Africa. She has played a crucial role in major climate research initiatives and has contributed
significantly to global climate assessments.
A strong advocate for integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific research, Prof. Klutse works to develop locally relevant climate adaptation and mitigation solutions. She is also a passionate champion for women in STEM, actively encouraging young Ghanaian girls to pursue careers in Science while striving to make Science education more attractive.
Prof. Klutse joined the University of Ghana as a Senior Lecturer in August 2018 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2021. In 2023, she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first female full professor of Physics in Ghana and the first female Physics professor by the University of Ghana in its 75-year history.
Education
Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse began her education at Nyanfeku Ekroful Community Nursery School before progressing to Anomabu Methodist Primary and Junior High School.
She later attended Mfantsiman Girls’ Secondary School, where she studied Science and completed her education in 1997. Her academic journey continued at the University of Cape Coast, where she pursued a degree in Physics. She later advanced her studies in Climatology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy.
These experiences laid the foundation for her dedicated research into climate dynamics in Africa, highlighting her commitment to understanding and addressing climate change challenges on the continent.
Research Interest and Publications
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse specialises in Atmospheric Physics, with a focus on understanding atmospheric dynamics and their impacts on human life, ecosystems and the environment. Her research explores how climate change influences critical sectors such as agriculture, water resources and public health in Africa. She is particularly interested in climate variability, climate change modelling and Solar Radiation Management.
Her work involves transforming historical and projected climate data into actionable information for risk reduction and decision-making across various sectors. Advancing climate observations and projections, she develops tools to improve understanding of Africa’s climate system and provides guiding principles for sector-specific climate services.
One of her recent research contributions, “Solar Radiation Management With Stratospheric Aerosol Interactions With Harmattan and Associated Impacts on Some Climate Variables Over Southern West Africa,” examines how solar radiation management (SRM) during the harmattan season influences climate variability due to the inflow of dry desert air.
As of February 27, 2025, her research portfolio includes 70 scholarly articles with 6688 citations, reflecting her significant contributions to climate science and policy.
Teaching Experience
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse is a dedicated educator and researcher, teaching a range of Physics and Climate Science courses. At the University of Ghana, she lectures in Electricity and Magnetism, Mechanics and Thermal Physics, Meteorology, Climate Change and Society, Climate Change Modelling and Research Methods.
She is affiliated with both the Department of Physics and the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies. Before joining the University of Ghana, she taught Satellite and Radar Meteorology, Cloud Physics and Atmospheric Physics at the University of Cape Coast.
In addition to her university roles, she serves as a guest lecturer at the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), where she teaches Regional Climate System Modeling and Computational Tools for Climate Studies.
During her tenure as a Researcher at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), she also taught courses in Regional Climate System Modelling and Climate Modelling, contributing to the development of climate science expertise across Africa.
National Service and Affiliations
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority. She has played a key role in shaping Ghana’s climate policies, contributing to the country’s Second, Third and Fourth National Communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
She was also instrumental in developing the National Framework for Climate Services for Ghana. From 2012 to 2013, she collaborated with a team under the African Adaptation Programme of the UNDP to develop early warning systems for floods and droughts in northern Ghana, enhancing the country’s resilience to climate-related disasters.
International Service and Affiliations
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse serves as a Vice-Chair of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Since 2024, she has been a member of the Oversight Committee for the Exploring Options for Actively Cooling the Earth programme under the UK’s Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA). She has been actively involved in the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) since 2011 and has served as the Point of Contact for Africa since 2021.
Prof. Klutse played a key role as a Lead Author in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) from 2017 to 2024. She has represented the Government of Ghana at multiple IPCC sessions, including the 48th Session in Incheon, South Korea (October 2018), the 49th Session in Kyoto, Japan (May 2019) and subsequent sessions in Monaco, Paris, Nairobi, Istanbul and Hangzhou, among others.
Her contributions to the IPCC extend beyond authorship. She was a member of the expert team for the IPCC’s Scoping of the Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5°C in 2016 and participated in the 6th Assessment Report in 2017. She also served on the IPCC Task Group on Data (2019–2024), ensuring the accuracy and accessibility of climate data for global assessments.
Beyond the IPCC, Prof. Klutse has contributed to African Union initiatives, including serving on the African Space Policy and Strategy working groups. She was a member of the Research Advisory Panel of the South African Weather Service (2022–2024) and served as a Board Member of UNESCO’s International Basic Science Programme (2021 2024).
Community engagements
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse has played a vital role in science education and community development. From 2010 to 2012, she coordinated the International Physics Olympiad, Ghana Team, encouraging young talent in Physics.
Between 2012 and 2014, she worked under the PEER Science Project, educating maize farmers in Ghana’s transition zone on optimal planting and harvesting times based on rainfall onset and cessation patterns.
As a mentor and patron, she supports various student organisations, including the Abura Asebu Kwamankese Tertiary Students and Associates (AAKTSA). Additionally, she is actively involved with Centre for Climate and Sustainability Empowerment (CCSE), Agbedus Consult, the Molex Foundation, Pro-Environment Africa and The Browne Foundation (TBF), which she established in honor of her father to support education and community development.
Political life
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse is an active member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
She served on the NDC’s Natural Resources, Mining and Science Manifesto Committee towards the 2024 elections, contributing her expertise in environmental and scientific policies. In the 2020 general elections, she was appointed as a member of the National Campaign Team, playing a key role in shaping the party’s strategy.
Prof. Klutse has also been actively involved in grassroots politics at the Abura Asebu Kwamankese Constituency. She is committed to political engagement and national development.
Awards and membership
Professor Klutse has received numerous accolades for her contributions to science and climate action, including: Recognition for a Woman in Science for her Contribution to Science, Schlumberger Faculty for the Future award, DAAD In-Country/In-Region Award and UNESCO award on Basics Physics for young Scientists.
Family
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse is the third child of Mr. Joseph Ramold Browne and Mrs. Sarah Browne of Nyanfeku Ekorful. She has three sisters: Maame Aba Bo, Araba Bo and Araba Edesima Browne.
She is married to Dr. Charles Kofi Klutse, who is the Manager of the Nuclear Programme Management Centre at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.
Together, they have three children: Nana Amoono, Illesi Ardime and Kafei Aforme Klutse.
Source: University of Ghana website
