Hanna Ekström

Main research areas

• Land use change
• Forest policy
• Inequality and justice

Current research

My research project explores relations between humans and forests and how we can understand the connection between forest policy, decisionmaking and land use change. Specifically, I focus on private forest owners' relations to forests and the effects those may have on forest governance and management. I use a mixed methods approach including walking interviews, geographic information and agent-based social simulation. The project is part of the interdisciplinary research project GreenPole and my position is shared between the Department of Political Science and the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science. 

Overall, I have an interest for society’s use of natural resources, land use change and urban/rural dynamics. With a background in Physical Geography and Gender studies, I have earlier studied water availability in rural Nepal, landslides in Uganda, socio-environmental conflicts in Chilean forestry and movements against mining in Sápmi and Ecuador.

Teaching

I take part in teaching around public administration, governing the commons, community planning, environmental problems, and sustainable development in the following Swedish speaking courses:

• STVA23 Makt och förvaltning
• MVEA10 Miljövetenskap: grundkurs
• MVEB16 Miljöpolitik och förvaltning
• MVEN27 Samhällsplanering med klimatperspektiv
• MNXD11 Hållbar utveckling för jorden, livet och miljön