Dr Emilie Beauchamp

Research Associate


Research Interests

My interests focus on exploring the interactions between different types of environmental interventions, ecological changes, and local livelihoods in resource-dependent communities. This means understanding the impacts of environmental interventions on human lives and on the environment, as well as exploring the effects of human behaviour changes on the environment. My current research focuses on investigating the effects of the recent El Niño event, and of climate change, on the environment and on local livelihoods at different altitudes of Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea (PNG). I will also explore local resource users’ perceptions of the impacts of extreme weather events, and how they would change their behaviour under different future scenarios of climate change. This will be combined with ecological data about crop yields and pest pressures to better understand the socio-ecological systems, with the aim of suggesting strategies to improve the resilience of PNG subsistence farming to future events.

 

In line with my previous PhD research, I’m interested in how to measure the impacts of conservation interventions and ecological events in ways that holistically capture the multi-dimensionality of human well-being, and the methodological challenges that come with estimating such effects over multiple time-series, across large and complex landscapes. I’m personally invested in efforts to train and build capacity for socio-economic research within developing country organizations through lasting collaborations and knowledge exchanges. Through these themes, I am constantly seeking to better bridge social and biological sciences to improve evidence-based decision-making towards sustainable development and biodiversity outcomes across the public, non-profit and corporate sectors.

 

Selected Publications

Woodhouse, E., Homewood, K. M., Beauchamp, E., Clements, T., McCabe, J. T., Wilkie, D., & Milner-Gulland, E. J. (2015). Guiding principles for evaluating the impacts of conservation interventions on human well-being. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 370(1681), 20150103.

Woodhouse, E., Homewood, K. M., Beauchamp, E., Clements, T., McCabe, J. T., Wilkie, D., & Milner-Gulland, E. J. (in press). “Chapter 5: Understanding human well-being for conservation: a locally driven, mixed methods approach”. Bunnefeld, N., Emily Nicholson, E., Milner-Gulland, E.J. (Eds.). Decision-making in Conservation & Natural Resource Management: Uniting Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches. Cambridge University Press.

Beauchamp, E. and V. Ingram. (2011) Impacts of community forests on livelihoods in Cameroon: Lessons from two case studies. International Forestry Review. 13(3): 1-15.

 

Contributing author in:

Woodhouse, E., De Lande, E., Milner-Gulland, EJ. 2016. “Evaluating the impacts of conservation interventions on human well-being: guidance for practitioners”. International Institute for Environment and Development, London.