Contact Details
| Organization: | Resource Management and Geography, Office for Environmental Programs |
| Position: | ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, DIRECTOR, OFFICE FOR ENVIRO PROGRAMS |
| Email: | |
| Homepage: | http://www.simonbatterbury.net |
| Work: | 8344 9319/3314 |
| Fax: | 9349 4218 |
| Room: | 33 |
| Level: | 02 |
| Building: | 207 Bouverie St. |
| Campus: | Parkville |
Biography
Simon Batterbury studied geography in the UK and USA, and joined the Environmental Studies program of the University of Melbourne in 2004 after teaching at Brunel University (Geography, 1993-9), LSE (Development Studies, 99-01), and the University of Arizona (Geography, 2001-4). He has also been a visiting professor of international development at Roskilde University in Denmark (2002), taught at the University of Colorado, and was a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford (James Martin Fellow, 2007-8).
He specialises in the interdisciplinary analysis of environment and development issues - mainly, but not exclusively, in developing countries. Early work sought to understand how farmers in dryland Africa adapted to harsh environmental and socio-political constraints and used 'development' projects as part of this, well before global climatic change became a pressing international issue. More recently he has refocussed on the Asia-Pacific region, with ongoing research in East Timor (on land and custom) and New Caledonia (on social and environmental history of Grande Terre).
Substantive research projects have been carried out with a host of collaborators and students and with several research grants. Much of his research is grouped under the rubric of "political ecology" and it is made relevant to policymakers and activists. In Australia and the UK he has also worked with environmental and development organisations and NGOs, set up a bicycle advocacy organisation in London, and organised many conferences and workshops.
Aside from directing Melbourne's Graduate Environmental Program (the OEP) with 200+ students doing the M.Env, he teaches about social impact assessment and evaluation techniques; political ecology; sustainability; transdisciplinary thinking; and African society, environments and culture. Email for information on graduate studies - former PhD and Masters students and topics are listed on a personal website http://www.simonbatterbury.net and publications at http:www.simonbatterbury.net/pubs.
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
| Research Interest | Key Words | Country of Expertise |
|---|---|---|
| geography, area studies, environment and development paths | Australia, United Kingdom, Burkina Faso, Niger, New Caledonia | |
| agrarian change | New Caledonia, East Timor, Niger | |
| Political ecology of natural resource management, sustainable development and the environment, urban transport, West Africa, Asia-Pacific | adaptation to climate change | Burkina Faso, Niger, New Caledonia, East Timor, United Kingdom |
| adaptation to climate change | East Timor, Australia, Burkina Faso, Niger | |
| bicycles and sustainable transport | United Kingdom, Australia | |
| sustainable development and the environment | Australia, United Kingdom, East Timor | |
| Program Evaluation & Social Impact Assessment | Australia, Burkina Faso, Niger |
International Linkages
| Country | Establishment | Collaboration |
|---|---|---|
| New Caledonia | University of New Caledonia | Research |
| United States | Clark University | Research |
| Australia | CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research | Research |
Languages
Languages
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| English | Speak, Read & Write |
| French | Speak, Read & Write |
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other Awards
Qualifications
| Title | Institution | Date Awarded | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | Clark University | 01-Dec-1997 | |
| MA | Clark University | 01-Jun-1990 | |
| BA | The University of Reading | 01-Jun-1985 | |
| Postgrad training, 9 months, Wye College (now Imperial) | Imperial College London | 01-Dec-1991 |
Memberships
| Membership Type | Membership Body | Description | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Association of American Geographers | member | 01-Jan-1987 | |
| Member | Royal Geographical Society | Fellow | 01-Jan-1988 | |
| Member | Institute of Australian Geographers | member | 01-Jun-2004 |
Fellowships
| Fellowship | Date Awarded |
|---|---|
| Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society (FRGS) | 01-Jan-1988 |
Other Awards
| Award Type | Awarding Body | Comments | Date Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarship | University of Oxford | James Martin Fellowship, James Martin 21st Century School, Oxford, Jul 07-Jan 08. | 15-Jul-2007 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
- Climatology (incl. Palaeoclimatology) (ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES) (260602)
- Cartography (GEOMATIC ENGINEERING) (291006)
- Land Capability and Soil Degradation (SOIL AND WATER SCIENCES) (300104)
- Soil and Water Sciences not elsewhere classified (SOIL AND WATER SCIENCES) (300199)
- Animal Husbandry (ANIMAL PRODUCTION) (300404)
- Environmental Management and Rehabilitation (ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES) (300801)
- Natural Resource Management (ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES) (300803)
- Environmental Impact Assessment (ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES) (300804)
- Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified (ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES) (300899)
- Sustainable Development (LAND, PARKS AND AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT) (300903)
- Land, Parks and Agriculture Management not elsewhere classified (LAND, PARKS AND AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT) (300999)
- Urban and Regional Planning (ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN ENVIRONMENT) (310103)
- Educational Policy, Administration and Management (EDUCATION STUDIES) (330104)
- Economic Development and Growth (APPLIED ECONOMICS) (340213)
- History of Economic Thought (ECONOMIC HISTORY AND HISTORY OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT) (340302)
- Transportation not elsewhere classified (TRANSPORTATION) (350499)
- Other Policy and Political Science (OTHER POLICY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE) (369999)
- Race and Ethnic Relations (SOCIOLOGY) (370103)
- Applied Sociology, Prog Eval & Social Impact Assessment (SOCIOLOGY) (370105)
- Social and Cultural Anthropology (ANTHROPOLOGY) (370302)
- Anthropology not elsewhere classified (ANTHROPOLOGY) (370399)
- Urban and Regional Studies (HUMAN GEOGRAPHY) (370401)
- Social and Cultural Geography (HUMAN GEOGRAPHY) (370402)
- Human Geography not elsewhere classified (HUMAN GEOGRAPHY) (370499)
- Migration (DEMOGRAPHY) (370502)
- History: African (HISTORICAL STUDIES) (430106)
- History: Other (HISTORICAL STUDIES) (430111)
- Biography (HISTORICAL STUDIES) (430112)
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
- Environmental policy, legislation & standards not elsewhere classified (ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, LEGISLATION AND STANDARDS) (760199)
- Institutional arrangements (ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE EVALUATION) (760201)
- Rights to environmental and natural resources (ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE EVALUATION) (760203)
- Climate variability (CLIMATE AND WEATHER) (770102)
- Land and water management (HIGH COUNTRY INCL. MOUNTAINS) (770602)
- Land and water management (FOREST AND WOODED LANDS) (770702)
- Land and water management (FARMLAND INCL. ARABLE LAND AND PERMANENT CROP LAND) (770802)
- Rehabilitation of degraded farmland (FARMLAND INCL. ARABLE LAND AND PERMANENT CROP LAND) (770807)
- Other (FARMLAND INCL. ARABLE LAND AND PERMANENT CROP LAND) (770899)
- Land and water management (SPARSELAND INCL. PERMANENT GRASSLAND AND THE ARID ZONE) (770902)
- Rehabilitation of degraded sparseland (SPARSELAND INCL. PERMANENT GRASSLAND AND THE ARID ZONE) (770907)
- Other (OTHER INCL. ISLANDS) (779999)
- Political science and public policy (NON-ORIENTED RESEARCH) (780106)
- Studies in human society (NON-ORIENTED RESEARCH) (780107)
- Field crops (SUSTAINABLE PLANT PRODUCTION SYSTEMS) (620501)
- Other (PLANNING) (680199)
- Housing (DESIGN) (680201)
- Other road transport (GROUND TRANSPORT) (690102)
- Health related to specific ethnic groups (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730207)
- Higher education (HIGHER EDUCATION) (740301)
- Education policy (OTHER EDUCATION) (749906)
- Understanding other countries (INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS) (750702)
- International aid (INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS) (750704)
- Urban planning (HERITAGE) (750803)
- Understanding Australia's past (UNDERSTANDING PAST SOCIETIES) (750901)
- Understanding the pasts of other societies (UNDERSTANDING PAST SOCIETIES) (750902)
- Other social development and community services (OTHER SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES) (759999)
- Global climate change adaptation measures (ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, LEGISLATION AND STANDARDS) (760101)
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Grants
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Scheme | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancing social transformation processes as a climate change response to foster more sustainable livelihood | Chief Investigator | CSIRO FLAGSHIP COLLABORATIVE FUND | Postgraduate Scholarships | 29/04/2009 |
| Climate impacts on remote Indigenous Australians in Northern Australia | Chief Investigator | UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE | CSIRO Collaborative Research Support | |
| TWENTIETH CENTURY RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGRARIAN CHANGE ON GRANDE TERRE, NEW CALEDONIA - MELBOURNE EARLY CAREER RESEARCHER GRANT SCHEME 2006 | Chief Investigator | UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE | Early Career Researcher Grants Scheme |
Contracts
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIVELIHOODS, LAND AND POVERTY IN POST-CONFLICT EAST TIMOR | Chief Investigator | UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE | 12/03/2007 |
Additional Grant and Contract Information
- 2007 James Martin 21st Century School Research Fellowship, ECI, University of Oxford, UK. Residential fellowship in UK.
- 2007 “Livelihoods, land and poverty in post-conflict East Timor”. With Marcia Langton, Lisa Palmer, Thomas Reuter, Balthasar Kehi and Universidade da Paz, Dili. [United States Institute of Peace, US$40,000]. Research began 2008.
- 2006 "Twentieth Century rural development, labour, and agrarian change on Grande Terre, New Caledonia". With Gilles Pestana (University of New Caledonia). Humanities and Social Sciences Grant, Ambassade de la France en Australie/Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and Early Career Grant, University of Melbourne. [c.AU$15,000]
- 2006 "The social impact of changing tenure and resource management regimes on customary property relations in Timor Leste (East Timor)." Marcia Langton, Lisa Palmer, Simon Batterbury, Thomas Reuter, Jon Barnett, Balthasar Kehi. University of Melbourne Collaborative Research Grant with UNPAZ, E.Timor. [AU$13,000].
- 2006 “Impacts of climate change on remote Indigenous communities in Northern Australia” with Donna Green (CSIRO, now UNSW). Collaborative Research Support Scheme, University of Melbourne-CSIRO Collaborative Research Program. [AU$30,000. Workshop March/April 2006].
- 2000-2002. "Transformations in African Agriculture: natural resources, livelihoods and markets". Seminar and publication grant from Economic & Social Research Council [Research Seminar series, grant R45126498499] and STICERD, LSE. Six seminars at LSE and Manchester, UK [₤8k]
- 2000-2002. "Organizational cultures and spaces for empowerment? Interactions between poor people's organizations and World Bank poverty programs" Research grant from the Culture and Poverty Initiative, the World Bank. With Anthony Bebbington (Colorado), and David Lewis (Social Policy, LSE). [US$100,000]
- 1996-1999. "Land Use and Land Degradation In Southwestern Niger: Change And Continuity" Economic & Social Research Council, Global Environmental Change (GEC) Initiative. With Prof. A. Warren (UCL) and D.Waughray (IoH). [₤92,000]
- 1995-1996. "Land Use and Land Degradation In Southwestern Niger" Starter Grant. Economic & Social Research Council, Global Environmental Change (GEC) Initiative. With Prof A. Warren (UCL) and the Institute of Hydrology. [grant L320223003, ₤30,000]
- 1996-1997 . "Green Commuting: Promoting Bicycle Use at the Urban University". The "Cycle Challenge Initiative", Department of Transport, UK. With the Local Agenda 21 Transport Group, Ealing. [₤19k]
- 1998. The Sahel - 25 years after the great drought. Assessing Progress - Setting a New Agenda. Conference and publications grants from the Department for International Development, UK (West and North Africa Department), and the Royal Geographical Society. [₤6k]
- 1996-7. "Environmental Transformations in Developing Countries" Conference and publications grants from the Royal Geographical Society, Department for International Development, (Social and Economic Research Management Fund), and ESRC Global Environmental Change Networking/Dissemination Fund [grant L320263060]. [₤4k]
- 1991-4. "Fellowship for Training and PhD Dissertation Research in African Agriculture & Health" (FTDR) awarded by the Social Science Research Council (New York) and the American Council of Learned Societies, with funds from Rockerfeller Foundation. [US$49k]
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.