My research

My research is primarily centered on environmental policy analyses and environmental governance. E.g. through analyses of target group behavior, stakeholder involvement, effectiveness of environmental policies and policy instruments, analyses of implementation barriers and analyses of multi-level environmental governance.

I've been PI for several research projects. E.g. projects granted under the Danish Pesticide Research Programme. I have large experience in taking part and leading tasks and work packages in international projects. Currently, I am WP lead on the EU-H2020 project REGREEN on nature-based solutions in cities, and WP lead on the project Stakeholder engagement and sustainable restoration of wetlands for water security (2023-2026) (funded by the Swedish government research council for sustainable development). I am the AU partner responsible for a WP in a project in Ghana (2019-2024) ‘Building Climate-Resilience into Basin Water Management’ funded by the Danish development organization under the Danish Foreign Ministry. I was also the WP lead for case studies in the project ‘Tackling and managing risks with Sustainable Development Goals (PEER-TRISD)’ for Partnership for European Environmental Research (2018-2021). I have been part of >40 funded national and international research projects, and collaborated on research projects with >100 research institutions across the world. Those research projects I have been part of since 2006 have received funding for more than 40M €.

I teach master level courses in environmental governance at Aarhus University (since 2001), and in implementation problems in water and environmental policies at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (since 2013). I am the head of a learning programme ‘Environmental Governance at local level’ (2022-2023) for the Danida Fellowhip Centre under the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A programme designed towards employees in local environmental administrations in developing and transition countries.

I have published 39 Peer-reviewed articles and numerous book chapters, reports etc. Of the peer-reviewed articles 17/39 are published in top-3% journals (Scopus Citescore). 30/39 are published in top-quartile journals (Scopus Citescore) (as of primo 2023).

I am Head of Section for Environmental Social Science and Geography at my department.