Focus area:

My research explores drivers, pathways and impacts of land-use change on livelihoods and socio-ecological production landscapes of smallholders in Myanmar. Since 2011 Myanmar experiences a phase of rapid transformation, due to the formal cessation of military governance and the implementation of reforms. In this context, I explore challenges and new opportunities arising for rural people at the forest-agriculture margin, with a specific interest in agroforestry practices. My objective is to identify sustainable development trajectories for rural people and their production landscapes, towards the triple objective of improved livelihoods, sustainable use and conservation of natural resources and ecosystems.

Background:

I’ve got a Bachelor of Science in International Forest Ecosystem Management (Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Germany) and an Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Forest and Livelihoods (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) and Sustainable Tropical Forestry (Bangor University, Wales) with a specialisation in Agroforestry. Previous traineeships and work assignments include a five months stay with GEO schützt den Regenwald e.V. and the National Conservation and Development Centre (NCDC) in Nepal, biomass assessments across several Australian states with CSIRO, thesis field work in Morocco as a research fellow (MSc) of the World Agroforestry Centre and digital questionnaire design as a Research Academic Officer at Copenhagen University. Since August 2015, I am a PhD candidate at the Department of Energy and Environment at Chalmers University of Technology.

Keywords:

Myanmar, tropical forestry, agroforestry, land-use change, rural livelihoods, local knowledge research

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