PROJECTS
My research draws on multiple perspectives of political ecology and science and technology studies to investigate how Indigenous and local knowledge systems shape political relations and technological developments to tackle emerging environmental change issues. I adopt participatory research to study topics related to tropical deforestation, landscape restoration, biodiversity monitoring, and community forestry to rework engagements and policies across geographical scales. See below some of the projects that I have been undertaking or collaborating with.
Smart Forests
The Smart Forests project investigates the social-political impacts of digital technologies that monitor and govern forest environments. Funded through a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant, this project addresses the crucial question of how forests are becoming “smart” through the increasing use of digital technologies to manage these environments. The SmartForests project is led by Professor Jennifer Gabrys and is part of the Planetary Praxis research group based in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge.
Governance of Forest Landscape Restoration in the Amazon
This research examines how multiple stakeholders manage multi-scalar relations of governance and institutional systems for landscape restoration in the Brazilian Amazon in order to explore how performance and outcomes are socially and geographically embedded in hybrid power dynamics. This study demonstrates these processes across the diverse roles of state, markets, communities, and individuals, through the novel application of global production networks, feminist political ecology, and forest landscape restoration frameworks to advance the environmental governance literature. As an empirical representation, this research focuses on case studies in the Upper Xingu region, southeastern Amazon.
Partners: The University of Sydney, Instituto Socioambiental and Xingu Seed Network.
Partners: The University of Sydney, Instituto Socioambiental and Xingu Seed Network.
Indigenous Australian participation in mine site restoration
Tackling mine degraded lands entails incorporating Indigenous perspectives for an equitable distribution of restoration benefits and risks throughout Australia. Mined land restoration requires interventions to dismantle institutional injustices in order to fully recognize socio-environmental inequalities and create livelihood opportunities for Aboriginal peoples. This research explores how negotiations and partnerships between Aboriginal groups and the mineral industry can improve restoration policy, plans and actions focused on the inclusion of Indigenous engagement with a key activity in restoration: the native seed supply chain.
Partners: Center for Mine Site Restoration, Curtin University.
Partners: Center for Mine Site Restoration, Curtin University.
Community-led forest restoration practices
Local communities have been frequently neglected in planning and implementing landscape restoration actions. In Brazil, several community-based systems have been established to create opportunities for Indigenous communities and smallholders to co-create local practices for native seed supply and co-design their restoration projects. Community networks are responsible for linking communities who have harvested, processed, and stored seed to the restoration market. These community-led systems aim to support local capabilities and participatory approaches to implement restoration actions and influence decision-making processes to transform policies across scales.
Partners: Xingu Seed Network, Cerrado Seed Network, Portal Network, Mata Atlantica Seed Network, Arboretum Program
Partners: Xingu Seed Network, Cerrado Seed Network, Portal Network, Mata Atlantica Seed Network, Arboretum Program
Youth4Nature
Connecting young people to climate decision-making processes is not only an advocacy opportunity, but it is also a valuable mechanism to strengthen the implementation of intergenerational solutions. Our goal is to elevate the youth voices to gain power in climate politics and recognize the role of nature in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. We promote young people participation in high-level meetings and promote a storytelling platform to exchange experiences across places.
Partners: Youth4Nature
Partners: Youth4Nature
Seed Policies in Brazil
A vast network of informal native seed collectors and producers are largely “invisible” and unknown to the regulatory authorities in Brazil. Policies have decentralized responsibilities from the state without devolving decision‐making power to the multiple stakeholders engaged in policy elaboration. The regulations maintain the centralized control of states for native seed use, production, and trade. We promote debates and forums to analyze seed regulations in Brazil and propose adaptions of the formal institutions according to the realities of diverse seed collectors and producers. We organize courses, symposiums, and conferences to formulate technical innovations to improve plant material sources and community participation.
Partner: Brazil's Forest Seed Committee
Partner: Brazil's Forest Seed Committee
Y Ikatu Xingu campaign
The Y Ikatu Xingu Campaign ("Save the Good Water of Xingu") addresses the social mobilization of diverse stakeholders to promote restoration of degraded riparian areas in the Upper Xingu, southeastern Amazonia. The campaign implements land restoration through manual and mechanized direct seeding using a mix of seeds of diverse native species. Our goal is to promote incentives to recover more than 300 thousand hectares of degraded lands in the Upper Xingu region. These interventions have been responsible for reducing the costs of restoration projects, improving the water quality and quantity aligned with community livelihood enhancements at the local level.
Partner: Instituto Socioambiental
Partner: Instituto Socioambiental