Soil Governance and Soil Information Sharing
About Us
The primary focus for research in this group is soil governance and ensuring the natural capital of a healthy functioning ecosystem whether natural or managed is maintained or improved. Good soil governance is of benefit to all. We have conducted research in Australia, UK, USA, Africa (e.g. Ghana, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe), South-East Asia (e.g. Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia) and South Asia (e.g. Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan) in a number of contexts. This work uses diverse research methods from social sciences including interviews, workshops and action research to address a wide range of issues around soil governance and the sharing of soil information. Making soil information useful to those who manage land is a priority for many reasons. This can range from helping land managers to inform their practice and how they can affect change to ensuring soil is protected from further degradation. Despite the rhetoric on how public soil information will assist land managers to manage their soil more sustainably, the evidence of its role performing in this way is limited. In most cases, the information that is available to a land manager about soil is not specific enough and tends to over-simplify the situation, hence providing little useful context-specific guidance.
Sustainable land management: topics include the use of soil information e.g. soil testing for soil health management and in some cases management of specific soil properties such as soil carbon. How can adoption of sustainable land management practices be increased without unintended outcomes? Capacity-building and incorporating Local Knowledge: Researching what types of governance arrangements and innovation can improve capacity of local people to adapt, learn and undergo transformational change. Monitoring, Verification and Reporting of soil data: Understanding the ways and means governments, industry and private enterprise can support local people in soil data collection that is fit-for-purpose. Knowledge Sharing: Examining the roles and functions of digital, in-person and hybrid modes of information exchange and determine how these modes support life-long learning and adaptation to a changing physical and social environment. Knowledge co-production, Learning and Policy development: For effective policy interventions what are the key strategies to ensure wide-scale uptake with minimal risk of perverse outcomes? Enquiries from prospective Honours, Masters and PhD students are welcome. We are interested to hear from people who want to work as part of a research team and who have a keen interest in soil governance and soil information sharing.
Our People
Contact Us
To find out more about Soil Governance and Soil Information Sharing, or to enquire about research opportunities, please contact Associate Professor Lisa Lobry de Bruyn
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