Dr Susannah M. Sallu

Profile

I am an Associate Professor in Environment and Development based in the Sustainability Research Institute of the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability at the University of Leeds. Since joining the University in 2007 I have played a key leadership role in shaping the Masters degrees in SEES and a number of strategic cross-faculty research initiatives, particularly those that have built the capacity of students and staff to undertake research on global challenges through partnership across Africa. For the University of Leeds I have co-led the Centre for Global Development and I have been the university representative on the Global Africa Group of the World Universities Network. For the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability I have led the Environment and Development Research Cluster and she has been member of the School Steering Committee. Through my research I was a member of the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy. I remain a member of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures, the Global Food and Environment Institute, Water@Leeds and Leeds Ecosystems, Atmosphere and Forests.
I have a PhD from the Department of Geography at the University of Oxford, an MSc. in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and a BSc.(Hons.) in Tropical Environmental Science from the University of Aberdeen. I have also worked for the Society for Environmental Exploration (a collaboration between Frontier UK and the University of Dar es Salaam) in Tanzania, Forest Research (UK Forestry Commission) and UNICEF.

Research interests

I am an interdisciplinary research scientist focusing on rural livelihoods dynamics and development in the context of climate change, biodiversity conservation and natural resource governance, agricultural development and food systems transformation, in tropical and subtropical environments. My predominant interests lie in the theoretical and empirical intersections of political ecology, social-ecological science, sustainability and development studies.

I have particular regional expertise in Africa and work together in participatory ways with communities and a wide range of academic and non-academic partners to develop better understanding of:

• The dynamics, resilience and vulnerability of social-ecological systems, landscapes, and livelihoods;
• The impact on human well-being and rural livelihoods of differing modes of conservation and ecosystem services governance and management, and climate change;
• Climate Compatible Development intervention, innovation and policy, e.g. REDD+, Climate Smart Agriculture and Adaptation and Resilience programming.
• Just and Sustainable Rural Transitions / Transformations – e.g. climate-resilient development, forest restoration, transition from agricultural subsistence to export oriented-horticulture.

I have extensive experience working across East and Southern Africa, particularly in Tanzania, where I have worked since 2000, and Botswana where I undertook my PhD. Over the past decade, I have played a key role as a lead for research undertaken in Tanzania on a number of large-scale, interdisciplinary pan-African research consortia projects. I have a strong track record in securing research funding from diverse sources, including UKRI, Horizon Europe, Development Agencies, and Overseas Development Assistance programmes. I am also a committed research mentor, with more than 18 years of experience supervising PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, supporting the development of early-career scholars.

Primary investigator (PI)

• Enhancing Capacity for Equity and Resilience in Tanzania

Co-investigator (Co-I)

• (Re)negotiating power to enhance resilience to climate change
• Agricultural and Food-system Resilience: Increasing Capacity and Advising Policy (GCRF-AFRICAP)
• LONG FALLOWS Project (Lengthening Of swidden Natural-forest re-Growth cycles through Farmer Action, Learning and Leadership Opportunities for Well-being and Social-inclusion)
• What to plant, when and where? Designing integrated forest-agricultural landscapes to enhance multiple livelihood benefits to and from agriculture

Qualifications

• DPhil Geography, University of Oxford
• MSc Environmental Technology, Imperial College, University of London
• BSc Tropical Environmental Science, University of Aberdeen

Student education

I am a leader in Sustainability, Environment and Development education at the University of Leeds, with over 19 years of experience designing, delivering, and leading postgraduate and undergraduate teaching in this field. I led the MSc Sustainability (Environment and Development) programme 2008-2015 and coordinated the wider Masters in Sustainability degree portfolio 2012-2015. More recently, I served as Director of Masters Education in the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability, a key leadership role responsible for shaping and managing a portfolio of 12 Masters programmes spanning Sustainability, Climate, Environmental and Geological Sciences. In this role, I led a major curriculum review and development of Masters programmes and worked collaboratively with colleagues to design and implement an English for Academic Practice support programme in the School.

My pedagogical approach integrates theoretical understanding, practical application, and experiential learning to help students connect knowledge with real-world challenges and inspire their future direction in the field. This is evident in the Masters Sustainability, Environment and Development field course which I developed and has led in Tanzania since 2012.

I have supervised more than 17 PhD students to successful completion of ther PhDs since 2008, most of whom have undertaken in-depth empirical and thoretical research at the interface of environmental change, environmetal governance, rural livelihoods and development in contexts across sub-Saharan Africa (particularly Tanzania and Kenya), as well as Bangladesh and the Galapagos.

Research groups and institutes

• Sustainability Research Institute
• Environment and Development
• Social and Political Dimensions of Sustainability

Current postgraduate researchers

• Valentina Fiasco
• Fanhui Dong