Areas of Expertise

  • Climate migration
  • Climate impacts and violent conflicts
  • Civilian crisis prevention
  • Climate and human development
  • Climate impacts in the Sahel, South Asia, and the Pacific  

Short Bio

Dr. Kira Vinke is head of the Center for Climate and Foreign Policy at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). She is also a member of the Advisory Board to the Federal Government for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding, which she co-chaired from 2018 to January 2025. From 2014-2022, she worked at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Before joining DGAP, she headed the East Africa Peru India Climate Capacities (EPICC) project there.

Until 2018, Vinke was a research analyst to the director of PIK. In this capacity, she worked from 2014 to 2016 as an analyst for the German Advisory Council on Global Change to the Federal Government (WBGU). She provided her expertise as a consultant for the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the Asian Development Bank. She has extensive field research experience in South Asia, the Pacific, and the Sahel.

Vinke completed her doctoral dissertation (summa cum laude) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin on the subject of climate change and migration; her studies were funded by the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. For her dissertation, she received the “Potsdamer Nachwuchswissenschaftler-Preis,” a prize for young scientists, from the city of Potsdam.

Vinke has been a member of the advisory board of Germany’s Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) since 2022. She is also a member of the board of trustees of the German Climate Foundation (Deutsche KlimaStiftung) and of the World Vision Deutschland e.V. In addition, Vinke is a member of the German section of “Aktion gegen den Hunger” (Action Against Hunger), and the Development Service and Humanitarian Aid Committee of “Brot für die Welt” (bread for the world).

See list of publications

See list of lectures and media appearances

Languages

German, English, Spanish, Portuguese

 

[Last updated: May 2025]

Dr. Kira Vinke

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Expertise

Publications

Green-skilled Workers for the Future

How Germany Can Strategically Respond to Cli-mate Change and Migration
Author/s
Mechthild Becker
Hannes Einsporn
Tobias Stolz
et al.
Policy Brief

Gegen den Strich: Zukunft der Klimaaußenpolitik

Wären Ausreden und Abwarten wirksame Mittel gegen die Erderwärmung, hätte die Menschheit längst ein Problem weniger. Kaum ein Diskurs ist so stark von Mythen und Missverständnissen geprägt wie der zum Klimawandel. Auch hierzulande hat der Griff in die rhetorische Mottenkiste Konjunktur: Es sei nun mal gerade „kein Geld“ für den Klimaschutz übrig, da „andere Themen Priorität“ hätten und man als einzelnes Land ohnehin „kaum etwas ausrichten“ könne. Eine Entgegnung. 

Author/s
Dr. Kira Vinke
IP
Creation date

Geopolitik am Meeresboden

Im Pazifik liegen in Tausenden Metern Tiefe große Vorkommen von Nickel, Kobalt und Seltenen Erden. Wo Rohstoffhunger auf unerforschte Natur trifft, wäre ein globales, verbindliches Schutzregime notwendig – doch eine Einigung ist nicht in Sicht.
 

Author/s
Dr. Kira Vinke
Verena Zimmer
IP
Creation date

Climate Tipping Threats

Addressing Systemic Risk Through Germany’s National ­Security Council and Its Bid for the UN Security Council
Author/s
Dr. Erin Pobjie
Dr. Kira Vinke
Germany must confront climate tipping threats now through foresight, cooperation, and security reform.
Policy Brief

Beratung als Beruf

Wie entsteht politische Expertise, wie funktioniert Wissens­transfer? Was sind die Probleme, mit denen sich diejenigen auseinandersetzen müssen, die Forschung und Vermittlung auf professioneller Basis betreiben? Und wie sehen ihre Lösungen aus? Einblicke in den Maschinenraum der Denkfabriken.  

Author/s
Rachel Tausendfreund
Thorsten Benner
Henrik Maihack
et al.
IP Special
Creation date

In the media