Teklehaymanot Weldemichel

Dr,

Personal profile

Overview

I am a human geographer with an interdisciplinary focus on how politics, the state and market actors, shape the relationships between people and their environments. My research spans social and environmental justice, the politics of violence, humanitarianism, and conservation, with a particular emphasis on how policy and power dynamics influence lives and livelihoods in contested landscapes.

I recently joined the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester as a Lecturer in Environment and Development. Previously, I served as an Associate Professor of Human Geography at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where I taught undergraduate and master’s courses. I have also taught at Mekelle University in Tigray, Ethiopia, and delivered guest lectures at leading institutions, including the University of Cambridge and the University of Bergen.

I completed my PhD in Human Geography from NTNU in March 2021 with a dissertation entitled “Life in Contested Lands: The Discourses and Practices of Mainstream Conservation in the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem.” My doctoral research explored the historical and contemporary impacts of conservation policies on borderland communities in some of Africa’s most wildlife-rich regions. After my PhD, I worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at NTNU, focusing on the localisation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals within Norwegian urban municipalities.

I have published in leading international peer-reviewed journals, including ScienceAntipodeAnnals of the Association of American GeographersLand Use PolicyEnvironment and Planning E: Nature and SpaceEcology and SocietyScience of the Total Environment, and Human Geography.

Beyond academia, I have been actively engaged in addressing the ongoing crises in Tigray and broader Ethiopia since the outbreak of war in November 2020. I have contributed to academic and public discourse through opinion pieces and short communications published in outlets such as The ConversationDevex, the Institute of Development Studies, The Elephant, and several Norwegian and international newspapers.

In addition to writing, I have been involved in various activities and movements opposing the war and advocating for accountability and justice for atrocities committed against civilians. I am a partner of the global internet watchdog AccessNow and have previously served on the boards of the Norwegian Association for Development Research (NFU) and the Nordic Africa Research Network (NARN).

Research interests: Social and environmental justice, the politics of violence and conflict, humanitarianism, conservation and contested landscapes, and political ecology.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 14 - Life Below Water
  • SDG 15 - Life on Land
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, Life in Contested Lands: The Discourses and Practices of Mainstream Conservation in the Greater Serengeti Mara Ecosystem, Norwegian University of Science & Technology

1 Sept 201631 Aug 2020

Award Date: 26 Apr 2021

Master of Philosophy, Degradation - conservation - degradation: The political ecology of environmental conservation in Lakenay village of Tigray

Award Date: 12 Jun 2012

Keywords

  • Social and environmental justice, the politics of violence and conflict, humanitarianism, conservation and contested landscapes, and political ecology.

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