I am an environmental social scientist with research interest in poverty-environment nexus, ecological economics, political economy of environment and institutional analysis. Currently, I am working as a Research Fellow in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, and supporting research and capacity building activities of the International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) Program. The IFRI program is a network of researchers and NGOs interested in forestry, livelihoods, climate change adaptation and environmental governance from different parts of the world. IFRI collaborating research centers are located in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, India, Nepal, Thailand, Bolivia, Columbia, Guatemala, and Mexico.

Most recently, I served as Poverty and Livelihoods Expert with IUCN-The World Conservation Union in Pakistan. Prior to IUCN, I was an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of York, UK where I conducted research in institutional economics of community-based forest management and economic incentives and biodiversity conservation. From 1996 to 1999, I worked as an Environment Advisor with the Rural Energy Program of UNDP/Nepal. I also worked with a national NGO working in sustainable agriculture and agro-forestry as well as government’s forest department. I am a Fellow of South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) and Alumni of Ronald Coase Institute.

Diploma

Diploma in Permaculture Design, Permaculture Institute, Australia, 1996.

Certificate in Water Management, Dresden University of Technology, Germany, 1999.

Selected Publications:

A. Journal Articles

Adhikari, B. (2005) Poverty, Property Rights and Collective Action: Understanding the Distributive Aspects of Common Property Resource Management, Environment and Development Economics, Vol 10: 7-31.

Adhikari, B., S. Di Falco and J.C Lovett (2004) Household Characteristics and Forest Dependency: Evidence from Community-Based Forest Management in Nepal, Ecological Economics, Vol. 48 (2): 245-57

Adhikari, B. J.C. Lovett (2006) Institutions and Collective Action: Does Heterogeneity Hinders Community-Based Resource Management? Journal of Development Studies 42 (3): 426-445.

Adhikari, B., J.C. Lovett (2006) Transaction Costs and Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Nepal, Journal of Environmental Management 78 (1):5-15.

Adhikari, B., F. Williams and J.C. Lovett (2006) Local Benefits from Community Forests in the Middle Hills of Nepal, Journal of Forest Policy and Economics, Vol. 9 (5) 1-16.

Meshack, C., B. Adhikari, N. Doggart and J.C. Lovett (2006) Transaction Costs of Community Based Forest Management: Empirical Evidence from Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology, Vol. 44: 468-477.

Adhikari, B. (2006) Poverty-Environment Nexus: Mainstreaming Environment into the National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, Journal of the Environment, Vol. 10 (11): 63-76.

Adhikari, B. (2004) Property Rights Regimes and Natural Resource Management: A Conceptual Analysis, Journal of the Environment, Vol. 8 (9): 1-8.

B. Book Chapters

Adhikari, B. (2008) Is Cooperation Costly with Diverse Economic Agents? In N.S. Jodha, R. Ghate and P. Mukhopadhaya (eds.) Promise, Trust and Evolution: Managing Commons in South Asia. Oxford University Press, New York.