Conservation and Sustainable Land Management

I don't like to be pigeon-holed as a subject matter specialist, as I love being a "deep generalist". I value specialist knowledge as long as it is embedded in meta-skills like conflict resolution, participatory meeting facilitation, report writing, project planning, inquiry, listening, language skills, etc. However, if I were forced to stop sitting on the disciplinary fence and profess a specialisation, I would probably call myself a "conservation and sustainable land management expert" (or just conservation expert for short) ... at least for now!

Most of the activities I have undertaken in this discipline relate to biodiversity conservation, either in agricultural ecosystems or in so-called "non-productive landscapes" - an unfortunate name if ever there was one. In all the activities I have been involved in, I have tried to include a strong participatory component. This can help to ensure that the intervention builds on existing traditions, knowledge, and skills. It can also help to engender a sense of ownership among those people and groups who were there before the activity started and will still be there long after the activity has finished.

Some of the conservation and sustainable land management activities I have been involved in are listed below:

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022–2023

2021–Present

2020–2022

2017

2016–2017

2016

2015–2016

2015

2014–2015

2014

2013

2012–2016

2012

2011

2009–2017

2009

2007–2008

2005–2007

2004–2006

2004

2002–2004

2002

2001–2003

2003

2000–2004

2000–2003

1999–2001

1997–1998

1996–1999

1996

1996–1999

1995

1992-1995

Production of an invasive alien species management plan for Gunner's Quoin Islands, Republic of Mauritius.

Production of an invasive alien species management plan for Flat and Gabriel Islands, Republic of Mauritius.

Production of an invasive alien species management plan for the St. Brandon Archipelago, Republic of Mauritius.

Production of a watch list to protect an island biodiversity hotspot from invasion: Republic of Mauritius.

Production of a multi-tier costed implementation strategy for effective control of Invasive Alien Species in the Republic of Mauritius.

Production of the National Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Action Plan for the Republic of Mauritius (2024-2030).

Production of the National Communication and Awareness Strategy and Action Plan on Invasive Alien Species in the Republic of Mauritius.

Production of a plan for maintaining biosecurity on Round Island, Mauritius.

Study on the economic costs and benefits of invasive alien species in Mauritius.

Projecting the future distribution of invasive alien plants in Mauritius under climate change using ensemble species distribution models.

Production of a management plan for the Mourouk Valley Nature Reserve, Rodrigues, Republic of Mauritius.

Production of a needs assessment to optimally implement and enforce the wetland legal framework in the Republic of Mauritius.

Chief Technical Advisor to the ‘Mainstreaming Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Prevention, Control and Management (Mauritius)’ project.

Development of Guidelines and Training Manual on LMO Risk Assessment and Management in Mozambique.

Chief Technical Advisor for the development of the Mauritius National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2017–2025.

The quantification of end-project knowledge levels concerning biological invasions in Cameroon.

The production of Cameroon Biosecurity Project information packs for dissemination nationally, sub-regionally and regionally.

Implementation of a Biosecurity Communications and Awareness Raising Plan through Existing Agencies in Cameroon.

Development of a Knowledge Management Framework for Protected Area Institutions in Mauritius.

Development of a manual in invasive species control systems and procedures for Cameroon.

Training of Trainers in detection, diagnostics and monitoring of biological invasions, and the development of a manual in detection, diagnostics and monitoring in Cameroon.

The quantification of mid-project knowledge levels concerning biological invasions in Cameroon.

Revision of the Logical Framework for the EU Project: Coastal, Marine and Island-Specific Bio-Diversity Management in ESA-IO Coastal States

Development and facilitation of a comprehensive IAS management training course in Sri Lanka.

Production of the Project Identification Form (PIF) for the UNDP-GEF 6 Project: Mainstreaming IAS Prevention, Control and Management (Mauritius).

Mid-term review of the EU-funded IUCN Project: Preparation and testing of a comprehensive model for preventing and managing the spread of invasive species on island ecosystems.

Development of a Training Needs Assessment for Protected Area Network Management in Mauritius.

Outcomes and impacts assessment of activities implemented under the Indian Ocean Commission's Call for Proposals scheme for ReCoMaP (Regional Programme for the Sustainable Management of the Coastal Zones of the Indian Ocean Countries).

Review of best practices in the development of regional, thematic and national project proposals relating to invasive species in order to help Small Island Developing States (SIDS)) formulate project proposals aimed at major funding sources.

Production of up-to-date lists of major invasive species in Cameroon.

Production of black and white lists of priority invasive species and formulation of management approaches in Cameroon.

Formulation of a decision-making processes to address established biological invasions in Cameroon.

Chief Technical Advisor to the UNDP-GEF Mauritius Protected Area Network Project.

Identification of major risk pathways and the current biosecurity profile from trade in Cameroon.

Quantification of the social, cultural, economic, environmental and biological impact of priority invasive species in Cameroon.

Quantification of baseline knowledge and attitudes concerning biological invasions in Cameroon.

International Technical Advisor: Planning, monitoring and evaluation, and taxonomy for the Centre for Pollination Studies, India.

Development of an invasive plant strategy and action plan for protected areas in Cape Verde.

International Technical Advisor: The UNEP-GEF Cameroon Biosecurity Project.

Project Manager: BioNET-EAFRINET UVIMA (Taxonomy for Development) project in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Consultancy Team Member: Technical assistance to a review of the Seychelles National Invasive Alien Species/Biosecurity Policy under the Seychelles Biosecurity Project.

Consultancy Team Member: Development of the UNDP-GEF Mauritius Protected Area Network Project.

Consultant: Analysis and the development of tools to reduce the risks of biological invasions from biofuel feedstocks.

Lead Consultant: Development of a National Invasive Species Action Plan for the Republic of Mauritius.

Lead Consultant: Development of a National Invasive Species Strategy for the Republic of Mauritius.

Consultant: Production of plant risk assessments for the Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat.

Project Manager: UNEP-GEF Project: Removing Barriers to Invasive Plant Management in Africa - pilot countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia.

Project Supervisor: Prosopis in arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya - A case of ecological meltdown?

Line Manager: To trainee project managers in sustainable agriculture under the Associate Expert Programme (funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Founder and first Chair of Mauritius’ National Invasive Alien Species Committee.

Project Advisor: Native plant propagation and management service in Rodrigues (Republic of Mauritius).

Project Manager: Restoration of a globally important coastal ebony forest on the island reserve of Ile aux Aigrettes (Mauritius).

National Project Lead: Rediscovering the Neglected Insects of Mauritius: Building In-country Capacity.

Project Manager: Community participation in restoration of endangered native forests of Rodrigues (Republic of Mauritius).

Project Manager: Development of a predator-exclusion enclosure for upland forest conservation.

Lead Consultant: Rapid assessment of the scope for regional collaboration for conservation of terrestrial biodiversity in the Comoros.

Project Manager: Conservation management of endangered Mauritian endemic bird species - analysis of long-term trends in wild & captive populations.

Project Manager: Sustainable management of Rodriguan endemic plants.

Project Manager: Restoration of Round Island (Mauritius).

Project Manager: Information system for biodiversity and conservation management in Mauritius.

Project Manager: Preparation of species recovery plans for seven Mauritian and Rodriguan endemic plant species.

Project Manager: The Mauritius restoration project.

Project Manager: Restoration of highly degraded and threatened native forests in Mauritius.

Project Supervisor: Insecticide resistance in Liriomyza species.

Project Supervisor: Supervised 18 University of Mauritius undergraduate projects of relevance to conservation and sustainable land management.

Volunteer: Farmer trainer in integrated pest management (IPM) in the Philippines.

Researcher: Efficacy of indigenous species in controlling cereal aphid populations.