Federica Ravera

Associate

Federica is a postdoctoral researcher for the UAM (University Autonomous of Madrid), with the Laboratory of Social-ecological Systems|, working on ecological economics, political ecology and environment and development issues.

Federica's research focuses on interpretation and analysis of drought vulnerability and adaptability in semi-arid and mountain regions, exploring the interface between socio-economic and ecological systems. Federica is particularly interested in resilience and vulnerability studies, adaptive action-research and adaptive governance, learning and knowledge systems management. She is also interested in the exploration of gender issues in agro-biodiversity conservation and adaption to climate change.

For her research, she is used to triangulate qualitative and quantitative approaches and methods, such as participatory scenario development, participatory modelling and social multicriteria assessment.

Background

Federica has a PhD in Ecological Economics for the UAB (University Autonomous of Barcelona). She has a master's degree in Rural Development and International Cooperation from the European School of Advanced Studies - Università degli Studi di Pavia (Italia) (2002). She also obtained a master's degree in Ecological Economics from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2007).

Before her PhD, Federica was collaborating with the Unit of Agrarian System Analysis at the FAO in Rome and Peru, from 2002 to 2005, as a young consultant.

During her PhD (2007-2011), she was working on several international projects, collaborating with the Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF) and the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) of the University Autonomous of Barcelona (UAB). In 2009, within the project: 'Sustainable Uplands: learning to manage future change', she collaborated with the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of Leeds as a Marie Curie fellow.

In 2012, Federica was working for Basque Center for Climate change (BC3) and Biodiversity International as postdoctoral researcher in the program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

Research interests

• Resilience theories;
• Development theories and participatory action-research;
• Social Multicriteria Assessment and multiscale social metabolism;
• Learning and knowledge management;
• Rural studies;
• Vulnerability and adaptability;
• Environmental conflicts.