I am a political ecologist working in forest conservation and politics of environment-development in Chinese investments in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan economic corridor.

I am studying the role of African elephants in climate change by examining their feeding impacts on vegetation and above-ground carbon dynamics. My research aims to identify demographic and habitat degradation thresholds that could shift their ecosystem role from carbon accumulators to carbon releasers, while also addressing misconceptions about the two African elephant species and their hybrids. As elephants face increasing threats from poaching and escalating human-elephant conflict (HEC) across their range, my work further explores any synergies or trade-offs between climate change mitigation and conservation efforts, and how these are linked to HEC. Learn more on my website: http://www.samuelawini.com.

My research explores the links between education and biodiversity conservation. I am particularly interested in how conservation NGOs implement education programmes in rural communities in Madagascar and how they affect local cultures, environments and knowledge systems. I have mainly been doing qualitative research using interviews, focus groups and participant observation as methodologies.

Projects

Unpacking the role of education as a tool for biodiversity conservation

Projects

Assessing the effectiveness of the Malagasy protected area network

Hi! I am Marianna Birmoser Ferreira-Aulu, project researcher and doctoral student at the University of Turku (UTU), Finland. My long-term professional goal is to contribute to society by exploring innovative pathways towards just and sustainable futures. I intend to do this by producing high-quality scientific materials, by popularizing science to catalyze positive transformations, and by engaging with the civil society to collaborate with various stakeholders. During the past five years, I have been working as project researcher in two departments in the University of Turku: the Finland Futures Research Centre, and the Centre for Collaborative Research. I have been engaged with various projects in strategic foresight, futures literacy, sustainability and climate action, renewable energy, food research, and international collaboration. In addition to desk research, I enjoy doing workshop facilitation (have experience in Finland, Peru and Colombia). I have also been quite active in public speaking, by giving talks in various seminars and conferences. I also enjoy cooperating to developing the strategy of our own organization. I have represented UTU in international cooperation initiatives through international education services. Since the beginning of 2021, I have also been pursuing my doctoral degree in Futures Studies. The working-title of my dissertation is “Building a Strategic Roadmap for Ecologically Sound and Socio-politically supported Conservation of the Brazilian Amazonia”. The research takes into consideration the local socio-political dynamics, the uniqueness of its peoples and its biodiversity. I look at the conservation of Amazonia as a wicked problem that needs diverse set of actions to attempt to solve it. This research topic is a continuation, and expansion of my Master’s Thesis, where I explored futures scenarios for the Volta Grande do Xingu, the region most affected by the construction of the Belo Monte Dam, in the East of the Brazilian Amazonia.

My research focuses on the power relations deployed throughout conflicts and collaborations over the management, use, and conservation of forest in Mexico

I am currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Eastern Finland, with research focusing on biodiversity conservation in authoritarian settings.

My name is Moustapha Itani and I am a doctoral student in interdisciplinary environmental science at the University of Helsinki. I have always been passionate about exploring how multidisciplinary collaboration can answer complex research questions. Before I joined DENVI, I developed vegetation management plans for archaeological sites, systematically reviewed public health impacts of weaponised depleted uranium in Iraq, assessed mental health benefits of gardening on Syrian refugee women and developed a vegetation description method for conserving rare plants in cities. In my doctoral research, I particularly focus on pastoralism’s challenges and sustainability in the Global South. In Lebanon, we are facing one of the worst economic crisis in modern times. Here, the food security and livelihoods of most of the population are threatened. We need to rectify people’s misunderstandings on pastoralism, revitalize this method of food production and boost its contribution to GDP.

I have been working in the field of education development and research for a reasonable period of time. gradually I become fascinated in the field of environment, society, and culture. My masters’ thesis at Future Generations University, USA was on water pollution and social change and I have explored the interrelationship of human behaviors and water pollution. I, also involved with some other projects related to water and climate change mentionable are 'Water, Food Security, and Climate Change: Local Knowledge Global Implications,' Bangladesh Sustainable Development Learning project: Saving river Bangshi through community participation and student engagement. Founding member of a community development organization name TREE-Training Research Education for Empowerment My involvement with the research and development projects related to water and climate change guide me to develop PhD research on ‘Culture, climate change, and water conservation: ‘water ecosystems and culture base adaptation practices in Bangladesh

A trained anthropologist at the Anthropology Research Group - Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, along with a background in Sociology. I do extensive research on co-management practices, regimes for forestry and wildlife conservation, protected area management, governance and development, as well as land use and sustainability policy.