Dr Claire Kelly

Personal statement:

My academic research focuses on understanding the relationships between society, economy and environment. I am particularly interested in how resilience to environmental challenges is shaped and enacted by stakeholders. I lead the design and development of innovative interdisciplinary, participatory and co-design research methods within multiple projects, including the Jali Ardhi suite of projects, delivering on the ground research-into-action in Tanzania, to address soil erosion and land degradation challenges. My background prior to academia included applied agricultural research and rural community development work giving me more than 30 years of practical and research engagement experience at community and regional levels.

Key topic areas of research or interest:

My research aims are in testing and extending the reach of theories of participatory action to build resilience; and in embedding collaborative research approaches into new and applied contexts. This work includes testing the application of stakeholder-led solution design for complex environmental challenges and advancing social resilience theories in socio-ecological and linked research areas. I also collaborate with artists and arts-based practitioners in delivering research and public engagement activities. I am a co-supervisor for MRes and PhD students.

Publications:

Preliminary assessment of the knowledge gaps to prevent soil erosion. https://doi.org/10.3897/soils4europe.e118669. Soils for Europe

Unravelling and understanding local perceptions of water quality in the Santa basin, Peru. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129949. Journal of Hydrology

Soils, Science and Community ActioN (SoilSCAN): A citizen science tool to empower community-led land management change in East Africa. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8300. Environmental Research Letters

The people between the Moors: Community and continuity in a changing world. https://beaford.org/thelandbetweenthemoors. In M. Winter, T. Wilkinson, M. Lobley, & R. Fish (Eds.), The land between the moors: essays in culture, environment and agricultural change

‘Mind the Gap’: Reconnecting Local Actions and Multi-Level Policies to Bridge the Governance Gap. An Example of Soil Erosion Action from East Africa. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/land9100352. Land

Integrating land-water-people connectivity concepts across disciplines for co-design of soil erosion solutions. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3791. Land Degradation and Development

Community resilience and land degradation in forest and shrubland socio-ecological systems: Evidence from Gorgoglione, Basilicata, Italy. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.01.026. Land Use Policy