Shona Jenkins

My interests lie at the intersection of people and natural resources. This means that I am a big fan of bridging disciplines to understand problems that are neither purely environmental, nor purely social. Currently, I do this through mixed method research that draws from both the social and natural sciences to explore how local communities and commercial forces affect the world's largest tropical peatland forest in the central Congo Basin. You can learn more about this research and more by visiting the CongoPeat project website.

I believe that by pairing research with advocacy, those without a voice can be heard and have a say in how the world's last intact forest landscapes are used and managed.

I grew up in Montreal, Canada and completed my bachelor's in environmental and agricultural sciences at McGill University. After taking a break to work and travel, I started my master's in sustainability and environmental sciences at Lund University in Sweden, where I ultimately investigated community water governance in peri-urban Ghana. I then went on to work as a project manager and researcher in the world of international development, first as a consultant, then as a programme officer within civil society on issues related to water resources management. This work brought me to many remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa, including DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi and Tanzania.

Now, as a PhD candidate at The University of Edinburgh, I have five years of experience in designing field campaigns and conducting mixed-method research to remote areas with international partners to draw on to make my research a success.

February 2022