Patricia Mupeta-Muyamwa, Ph.D.
Global Director of Human Rights in Conservation
Arlington, VA
Patricia Mupeta-Muyamwa, Ph.D. Patricia is the global director of human rights in conservation for The Nature Conservancy. © Roshni Lodhia
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Community-based conservation, landscape management, biodiversity conservation and rural development
Biography
Dr. Patricia Mupeta-Muyamwa is a natural resource governance specialist with 25 years of experience in natural resource governance, human rights, environmental and social safeguards, Indigenous and community-led conservation, protected area management and rural development. She has worked for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) since 2011. She currently works for TNC as the global director of human rights in conservation and was previously TNC’s Africa Indigenous Landscapes Strategy director.
The Indigenous Landscape program supports communities in east, central and southern Africa with land and resource rights, builds their leadership capacity and creates economic opportunities for improved livelihoods. Patricia spearheaded a leadership program (the African Conservation Leadership Network), a partnership between TNC and Maliasili Initiative that supports African conservation organizations’ leadership development.
As the global director of human rights in conservation, Patricia develops and integrates human rights and safeguards principles and best practices into TNC's conservation programs. Patricia obtained a doctorate from the University of Florida, School of Natural Resources and Environment in 2012. Her research examined factors that lead to improved local democratic governance in community conservation programs in Botswana and Zambia.
Publications:
Child, B., S. Muyengwa, R. Lubilo & P. Mupeta-Muyamwa (2014) “Using the governance dashboard to measure, understand and change micro governance” in “Adaptive cross-scalar governance of natural resources” eds. B. Child & G. Barnes New York, NY Routledge Earthscan
Child, B., P. Mupeta-Muyamwa, S. Muyengwa & R. Lubilo (2014) “Community based natural resource management: Micro governance and face to face participatory democracy” in “Governance for justice and environmental sustainability. Lessons learnt across natural resource sectors in Sub Saharan Africa” eds. Sowman, M. & R. Wynberg New York, NY Routledge.
Collomb-Emptaz, J.G., P. Mupeta, G. Barnes & B. Child (2010) “Integrating governance and socioeconomic indicators to assess the performance of community based natural resource management in Caprivi (Namibia)” Environmental Conservation 37: 303 – 309