Ben Newport

Reforestation plays a key role in many tropical countries’ pledges under the Paris Agreement, whilst simultaneously providing co-benefits such as biodiversity protection and income generation for local communities. However, there is often a disconnect between the social and biophysical sciences when planning and implementing such multifunctional forest interventions. By incorporating approaches from both disciplines, my research aims to develop a framework for designing reforestation interventions which provide the greatest overall benefits at a landscape-scale whilst being sustainable into the long-term. Specifically, I am focusing on the peatland forests of Malaysian Borneo and its resident Dayak communities.