Miss Joana Borges Coutinho
| Job Title | Contact | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Research Student | J dot Coutinho at uea dot ac dot uk |
Biography
I was born in Portugal and grew up in the Azores islands, moving to Lisbon at the age of 17 to start a degree in Law. I moved to the UK in 1997 to study organic agriculture, in a career change move due to my growing interest in sustainable development. I trained in organic agriculture, managed a couple of community-based organic food projects, started my own business, then decided the organic world wasn't enough to meet my growing social and environmental interests and concerns. So, after a welcome break in South America, I moved back to Wales and did an MSc in International Development/Natural Resources, and since then have been engaged in issues related to poverty alleviation in tropical forests, and how these interact with environmental protection and climate change. I am also fortunate enough to have a young family that keeps me sane and in check with reality!
Career
Centre for Evidence based Conservation, SENR, UWB
Review and translate Portuguese and Spanish articles and database searches as part of a UNEP/GEF-funded Review of the evidence for environmental and social benefits from community forest management
Temporary lecturer (Sep 2008- Aug 2009)
School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wales Bangor Teach and lead modules on two MSc programmes (International Development/ Natural Resources and Environmental Forestry), including assessments and supervision of field research activities. Coordinate and lead 10-day study tour to Portugal for 10 MSc students.
Sustainable Livelihoods Coordinator, TAMS Project, Madagascar (Sept 2007 – March 2008)
Consultant to Mitsinjo through grant funding from Conservation International
Implement pilot SL interventions with communities participating in the forest carbon and restoration project. Stimulate the development of a permanent livelihood program to TAMS.
Academic Background
MSc International Development / Natural Resources (2005/06)
School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wales Bangor
Thesis title: Livelihoods, Conservation and Ethical Trade: a baseline study of forest margin communities in eastern Madagascar
BSc Organic Agriculture (2001-04)
Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth, including:
Semester Specialisation on Ecological Agriculture at KVL Copenhagen
Summer Courses: Alternative Cops for Sustainable Agriculture at University of Maribor, Slovenia and Social Aspect of Organic Agriculture at Warsaw University, Poland.
CV and Experience
Key Research Interests
I am interested in understanding better the interplay between environmental degradation and social wellbeing in rural areas, particularly the political processes that influence these relationships. At the moment, I am looking into the political ecology of REDD + in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, with a particular focus on processes of access and exclusion surrounding the implementation of this forest-based climate change mitigation mechanism. I am particularly interested in analysing how the development and growing support of markets for forest carbon and REDD+ affects national processes of forest governance, and how these in turn change the ways in which local people access forests and their resources, and are able to derive benefits from them. As REDD+ gains pace fast, it is important to understand better the ways in which forest access takes place, and how REDD+ is likely to change it, in order to inform decision makers on appropriate REDD+ implementation policies.
Supervisors
Dr Thomas Sikor and Prof. Kate Brown.
Research Groups and affiliations
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Natural Resources, Environment and Livelihoods Research Group
Tropical Agriculture Association
Publications and Conference Presentations
"REDD Light for local Forest Access? Property, Access and Exclusion in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in East Kalimantan" Paper presented at Roskilde PhD workshope 26-28th May 2011, and Procedural Paper presentation, DEV Seminar 24th June 2011
Link to article
Coutinho, J.B. (2010) Mind the Gap: Same Forest, Different Stories. Paper presented at the International Research Meeting “MADAGASCAR’S VOICES FROM THE FOREST: Improving Representation and Rights for Malagasy Forest Peoples”. University of East Anglia, 5-6 June 2010
Coutinho, J.B. (2010) Mitigação Climatica: Mudanças na Fronteira Florestal [Climate Mitigation: Changes at the Forest Frontier]. Poster Presentation at the “Encontros Ciência 2010”. Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, 5-9 July 2010
Coutinho, J.B (2007) Forest Fair: Livelihoods Ethical Trade and Conservation Efforts in the Eastern Rainforests of Madagascar. Poster and Speed Presentation at the International Symposium “Society, Natural Resources and Development in Madagascar: recent Contributions form the Research Community”. University of East Anglia, 30-31 March 2007
