Environmental Governance and Global Development

Environmental Governance and Global Development is the most recent of the five teams working within Research & Innovation. Headed by Prof. Dr. Quynh Nguyen, who joined the Wyss Academy in July 2023, the team conducts rigorous research and prototypes theory-driven approaches within the field. They engage in the design and formulation of sustainable governance solutions for people and nature, thereby catalyzing positive change for all stakeholders. Their goal is to become the key reference for impact-oriented research within their field. Additionally, they aspire to provide governance solutions for system transformation toward a mutually beneficial relationship between people and nature.

Main achievements in 2023

1. Team recruitment completed

The Environmental Governance and Global Development team was formed during the second half of 2023. They have recruited and onboarded a skilled and dynamic group of researchers with diverse expertise and a fresh perspective on existing projects. Already fully operational, they look forward to contributing to the Wyss Academy’s overall mission and strategic objectives with their research endeavors.

2. Project launched: Gender and water governance in Vietnam

Water pollution poses a significant challenge in Vietnam, particularly for women. Existing research has highlighted the potential of community monitoring in enhancing water quality. In a new project, the team will investigate how the gender composition of monitoring teams influences the effectiveness of community monitoring in reducing water pollution. To achieve this, they will implement a randomized control trial, using a self-developed ICT (Information and Communication Technology) tool. In March of 2024, they met with their local partners to kickstart the project. The conceptual work took place in 2023.

3. Scoping Mission in Laos

The team’s first scoping mission to Laos in December of 2023 was a crucial step in the preparation of the upcoming stakeholder network analysis. The aim of the mission was to visit the Wyss Academy's Solutionscape in Laos and interact with the various actors involved. Collecting information was important to gain a deeper understanding of the different actors, networks and stakeholders, to understand the complexity of social network interactions in the region, and to prepare for data collection during the next phase.