Ahmad Yousef Safi, born in 1987 in the town of Al-Ubeidiya, Bethlehem District, completed his secondary education in 2005 before enrolling at Hebron University to study agricultural engineering, specializing in plant production and protection. He graduated in 2009/2010. He worked as a scientific research assistant at the University until 2014. He earned a master's degree in 2016/2017 in the field of natural resources and sustainable management. His master's thesis was titled "The Impact of Using Water Harvesting Methods on Improving Soil Productivity in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas."
He has worked at the Ministry of Agriculture since 2014, holding several positions, including Head of the Greening Section in the Forestry Department and then Head of the Desertification Control Section in the Natural Reserves Department. He contributed, along with his colleagues, to preparing the first and second reports on the state of desertification in Palestine, which were submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 2018 and 2022, respectively. He was recently appointed Director of the Drought and Climate Change Monitoring Department. Through his work, he seeks to implement land restoration systems, particularly for degraded forest and rangeland lands. He also works to reverse desertification and neutralize the effects of land degradation through more sustainable practices that are adaptive to climate change.
Ahmad Safi's interest in climate change issues is evident in his numerous activities, including implementing climate-smart practices in forestry and pasture, improving agricultural water use efficiency, and enhancing productivity. He has also completed numerous courses on climate change adaptation and mitigation, which have enhanced his knowledge base in this field, including the "Climate Change Advisor Training" with GIZ.