What faculty do you work in?
FHSS
What is your main area of research?
Environmental law
Why is your research important?
My current research is focused mainly on sustainable land management in Wales. As well as publishing in books and journals on this subject, I also spend a lot of time engaging with government in Wales to increase the impact of my research. For example, I held a Fellowship with the Senedd and I have been involved in consultancy work for Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales.
What SDG is your research most closely aligned with?
I started my research career nearly 30 years ago by studying for a PhD that considered the implementation of Local Agenda 21 in England. I have been closely following the development of global commitments to sustainable development ever since. In particular, I have published on governance for sustainable development from a local and Welsh perspective.
What do you hope to accomplish with your research?
I hope that my research will have a positive impact on the development of law and policy for environmental protection in Wales.
Is there a cross-disciplinary element to your research? If so, who else at the University is involved?
I work closely with Dr Jonathon Walker from Biosciences in Swansea on law, policy and governance for peatlands in Wales. This is important because interdisciplinary perspectives will be essential to meeting complex environmental challenges. Together we have considered what is necessary for the sustainable management of peatlands in Wales at both a national and local level. Our research is best explained in a blog post for Senedd Research that can be found here The importance of peatlands and their protection in Wales (senedd.wales)
Are there any external collaborators involved?
I held a Policy Fellowship with the UKRI Landscape Decision Making programme to explore local approaches to sustainable peatland management. This was carried out in collaboration with Dr Jonathan Walker (who held a Fellowship with the same programme on Welsh Peatlands Evidence) and Neath Port Talbot Borough Council.
What is next for your research?
I am continuing to develop my research with Jon Walker and its impact in Wales. For example, we will be holding a public engagement event with Carmarthen County Council in the autumn.
There is important environmental legislation for Wales currently in development and I will be presenting on this at the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association conference in June and and a Policy Forum for Wales in the autumn. I will also be developing my research on legal approaches to nature recovery which informs my module for law undergraduates and Masters students in Biosciences on Law and the Nature Crisis.