Malgorzata Blicharska

Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Sustainable development at Department of Earth Sciences; Natural Resources and Sustainable Development

Telephone:
+46 18 471 70 56
E-mail:
malgorzata.blicharska@geo.uu.se
Visiting address:
Villavägen 16
75236 Uppsala
Postal address:
Villavägen 16
75236 Uppsala

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Affiliated Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor at Uppsala University Future Institutes (UUniFI); UUniFI Goal Conflicts

E-mail:
malgorzata.blicharska@geo.uu.se
Visiting address:
Segerstedthuset, Dag Hammarskjölds v 7
751 05 Uppsala
Postal address:
Box 256
751 05 Uppsala

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Academic merits:
Docent

Keywords

  • environmental governance
  • climate change
  • sustainable development
  • circularity & resource management
  • ecosystem services
  • biodiversity conservation
  • policy implementation
  • stakeholder engagement

Biography

I am an interdisciplinary sustainability and environmental governance researcher with over 18 years of experience working at the interface of sustainability science, policy, and implementation. My work focuses on sustainability governance, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, circularity, and integrated natural resource management across multiple sectors and landscapes.

My early research focused on biodiversity governance, environmental policy implementation, public participation, and conservation conflicts, including the role of spatial planning in biodiversity conservation. Over time, my work expanded toward broader sustainability transitions and systems-based approaches to environmental governance and resilience.

My research integrates ecological, social, governance, and policy perspectives to address complex sustainability challenges. I have worked on topics including sustainable forest management, ecosystem restoration, nature-based solutions, environmental planning, water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus approaches, urban and freshwater ecosystems, socio-economic dimensions of sustainability, and stakeholder engagement in environmental decision-making.

A central focus of my work is the development and application of governance frameworks, sustainability assessment approaches, and decision-support tools that strengthen evidence-based environmental management and sustainability implementation. I work closely with researchers, public agencies, municipalities, NGOs, and international organizations to support interdisciplinary collaboration and practical sustainability solutions.

I currently coordinate LANDPATHS, a major interdisciplinary sustainability research programme funded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, focused on multifunctional landscapes, resilience, and sustainability transitions across forest, agricultural, mountain, coastal, and urban systems.

I have contributed to numerous international and European sustainability initiatives and have authored 77 peer-reviewed scientific publications related to sustainability governance, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and environmental management.

Research

RESEARCH

My research focuses on sustainability governance, environmental management, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, circularity, and integrated approaches to sustainable development. I work with interdisciplinary and systems-based approaches to understanding and managing complex interactions between ecological, social, and governance systems.

Current research themes include:

• Sustainability governance and policy implementation

• Climate adaptation and resilience

• Multifunctional landscapes and ecosystem services

• Nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration

• Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus approaches

• Stakeholder engagement and participatory governance

• Socio-economic dimensions of sustainability transitions

• Sustainable forest governance and adaptation to climate change

Current projects:

1. LANDPATHS (Coordinator)

LANDPATHS is a large interdisciplinary sustainability programme funded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency focused on developing governance and management strategies that strengthen biodiversity, resilience, and multifunctionality across landscapes. The programme integrates systems-based approaches to sustainability transitions across forest, agricultural, coastal, urban, and mountain systems and develops practical recommendations for public agencies and practitioners.

Future multifunctional landscapes in Sweden - LANDPATHS

2. ANAFOR – Assisting Natural Adaptation of Forests to Climate Change (Work Package Lead)

ANAFOR develops innovative approaches for climate adaptation of forest systems through assisted migration and ecosystem-based adaptation strategies. The project combines ecological research, policy analysis, modelling, and stakeholder engagement to identify governance pathways supporting resilient forest systems under climate change. I lead Work Package 2 focused on social and policy barriers, governance challenges, and opportunities for implementation of climate adaptation strategies in forest management.

ANAFOR forest – Department of Earth Sciences – Uppsala University

3. PUDDLE-JUMP (Work Package Lead)

PUDDLE-JUMP investigates hydrological and ecosystem services provided by small artificial waterbodies, including ponds and wetlands, and their role in climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable landscape management.

PUDDLE JUMP – Department of Earth Sciences – Uppsala University

Malgorzata Blicharska

Publications

Selection of publications

Recent publications

All publications

Articles in journal

Articles, review/survey

Chapters in book

Manuscripts (preprints)

Reports