Oliver’s primary research interest is the political economy / political ecology of forest governance reform in developing countries.  He mainly focuses on issues of: 1) democratisation, policy and reform rights reform and the associated political empowerment of forest users,  2) livelihood development and poverty alleviation at the forest – agricultural interface, and 3) integrated biodiversity management in forest management.

These interests have been developed through leading a range of research projects with partners across Asia  region , particularly India, Nepal and Burma/Myanmar.  He is co-author/editor, with Piers Blaikie, of ‘Forests, People and Power’ (Earthscan 2007)

Oliver has also worked as a forest and environmental policy advisor on donor-funded projects in India and currently Burma / Myanmar

Oliver is the coordinator of the Burma/ Myanmar Development Research Network:

http://www.uea.ac.uk/international-development/research/burma-myanmar-development-research-network

Websites of projects Oliver has led or been involved in:

The Political Ecology of Forest Ecosystem Services (2011-13)

Community Forestry in Myanmar / Burma (2010-11)

Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth (2005-10)

Strengthening pro-poor wetland conservation using integrated wetland assessment  (2005-2008)

Participatory Forest Management in India and Nepal (2002-2006)

Institutionalising Participatory Integrated Forest Management in Nepal (2002-2005)

CV and Experience

Click here to download Oliver's CV.

Forest and natural resource governance, rights tenure and institutions, livelihoods and poverty, participation, biodiversity management, political ecology, political economy, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Tanzania.

Research Groups: Global Environmental Justice; Politics, Governance and the State

Research Supervision

I am currently supervising the following research students:

• Shankar Dahal; ‘Use it or lose it! Integration of Local Knowledge in Management of Medicinal Plants in the Hills of Nepal: A Case Study from the Sankhuwasabha District, Koshi Hills, Eastern Development Region of Nepal’.
• Hari Dhungana; ‘Forest Resources and Social Justice: A Case Study of the Policies and Practices of Forest Resources Management in Nepal’.
• Peter O’Hara; 'Beyond the ‘community’ in community forestry: Exploring and challenging the roles and constructs of professionals through deliberative processes'.

Oliver has a BSc in Economics and Economic and Social History from the University of Wales (1989), an MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics (1991) and a Ph.D from the Geography Department of SOAS (2001)