Kiely McFarlane

Background

About Kiely McFarlane

I am a social scientist at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, New Zealand - the largest independent science organisation in New Zealand. My postdoctoral research examined the social, cultural, and political-economic histories and contemporary management of lakes in New Zealand, as part of a large interdisciplinary project that seeks to reconstruct the environmental history of 10% of New Zealand's lakes (see https://lakes380.com/). I am also involved in several projects for the New Zealand Bioheritage National Science Challenge that explore alternative pathways to ecosystem regeneration.I completed my PhD at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, where I spent 5 years researching the development and early implementation of the BC Water Sustainability Act under the supervision of Dr Leila Harris. Prior to commencing my PhD, I was employed as a research assistant at the University of British Columbia, where I contributed to 1) a research project on drinking and source water governance in small communities; and 2) the development of a mass online open course on solutions to the global water crisis. Previously, I worked as an analyst at Auckland Council (a regional government entity) in New Zealand, having completed a Master of Science in geography at the University of Auckland in 2012. My Masters' thesis explored opportunities and barriers to urban stream protection through greenfield development.My key interests are in environmental policy and management, in particular the management and governance of freshwater systems. Over the course of my PhD I gained significant insight into environmental law, policy, and planning; water governance; and transformational change; as well as the roles of local communities, Indigenous actors, and NGOs in enacting a progressive water politics. My background in geography, experience in interdisciplinary research, and work in the local government sector have provided me with the skills and knowledge to work competently with a range of academic, local government and community actors.