Dr Poshendra Satyal has fourteen years of experience in interdisciplinary research, teaching, consultancy and project management in the environment and development sector. He is currently a Senior Research Associate at the School of International Development of the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, UK. He is also an affiliate member of the Open Space – Centre for Geographical and Environmental Research of the Open University, UK and an affiliate research fellow of the University of Glasgow’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies.
With a background in the natural and social sciences, Poshendra has interests in interdisciplinary and policy relevant research on environment and development in Europe and South Asia, in particular environmental governance, forest management and climate change. He also has broader research interests in other key environment and development challenges: conservation and human rights; natural resources conflicts; food security and agriculture; forest politics and policy; social, environmental and climate justice; and ecosystem services and poverty alleviation.
Poshendra received his PhD from the Geography Department of The Open University, UK (2005-2009). He also has an MPhil in Environment and Development from the University of Cambridge, UK (2001-2002), BSc (Honours) in Agriculture from Haryana Agricultural University, India (1996-2000), and a BSc from Tribhuvan University, Nepal (1994-1996).
At UEA, Poshendra plays a co-ordinating role for CoCooR project (2014-2018), an interdisciplinary cross-country project that focuses on an analysis of conflicts and co-operation over REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) in Nepal, Mexico and Vietnam. It is funded by NWO Netherlands with finance provided from DFID and involve these partners: UEA International Development, RECOFTC – The Centre for People and Forests, Winrock, Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (Nepal), Institute of Cultural Studies (Vietnam), and Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (Mexico).
He is also involved in ASSAR (Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions) project. This five-year collaborative work is funded by DFID and IDRC under the CARIAA (Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia) program and involves these partners: UEA International Development, University of Cape Town (South Africa), Start International (USA), Oxfam (UK) and Indian Institute for Human Settlements (India). As part of the project, UEA’s work is focused on vulnerability and adaptation in some of the driest zones of East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda).
Prior to his current role at UEA, Poshendra was a research fellow at the Crichton Carbon Centre and ClimateXChange – Scotland’s Centre of Expertise on Climate Change. He also contributed to teaching in the University of Glasgow’s MSc Applied Carbon Management programme. In the past, he has worked as a researcher and consultant with a number of organizations in the UK (The Open University, UNEP – World Conservation Monitoring Centre, BirdLife International, and Forests Monitor) and Nepal (Himalayan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Society of Environmental Journalists Nepal, Forum for Sustainable Development Nepal, and Institute for Sustainable Agriculture Nepal).
Poshendra has published widely – ranging from newspaper articles and policy briefs to peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. At leisure, he likes to play football and table tennis and writes poetry. He was the Founding President of the International Nepali Literary Society-UK Chapter for which he has also served as an advisor.
