Niwaeli Kimambo

Niwaeli Kimambo is a PhD student in Geography. She studies smallholders’ land use around protected forests in East Africa. She earned her B.A from Brown University and an M.Sc in Geography from UWMadison. The Master’s project presented options for increasing forest connectivity in Southern Tanzania through incorporating farmer’s woodlots. Niwaeli’s interest in conservation and rural land use stems from her upbringing; as she was born and raised on the slopes of Kilimanjaro – Tanzania where farming and conservation are closely linked. She also worked at a conservation NGO in Tanzania for several years before starting graduate school. She is excited to combine modern satellite imagery analysis with onthe-ground surveys in order to make site-specific environmental policy recommendations. She will use the SKJ support to visit villages in Mbeya, Tanzania and in Kibale, Uganda to inquire about land use trends and present results from Master’s work. Her goal is to highlight conservation options that are both ecologically viable and socially equitable.

Read Niwaeli Kimambo’s fellowship report here.