Research Interests

My work responds to a deep challenge: Indigenous Peoples are often portrayed as contributors to forest degradation, while their own knowledge and practices for protecting and managing forests remain poorly recognised. In my work with more than 200 community members, I document how Bunong communities manage rotational agriculture, protect sacred forests and burial grounds, and regulate the use of forest resources through customary practices. At the same time, gaps and restrictions within legal and regulatory frameworks can limit the recognition of Indigenous customary systems and the protection of culturally and ecologically important areas. For example, provisions relating to Indigenous communal land titling and environmental and land governance can leave aspects of Indigenous land use, sacred forests, burial grounds, and customary practices insufficiently recognised. These practices demonstrate that Indigenous communities are not simply users of forests, but active stewards with their own systems of conservation and governance. My role is to listen to these experiences without imposing external interpretations, and to create space for community members to document and write their own knowledge and experiences. In this way, the research ensures that Indigenous voices become part of the evidence used to understand and make decisions about their lands, livelihoods, culture, and forests.

Through field engagement and participatory methodologies, I facilitate dialogue between Indigenous communities and academic partners, ensuring that local knowledge is accurately represented in national and international discussions on biodiversity and climate resilience. I also contribute to translating community perspectives into evidence that can inform policy discussions on environmental governance.