Devisscher, Tahia

As an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Forestry, I focus on how to manage forests and other greenspaces in and around cities to support human well-being and build social-ecological resilience to climate change. I am also interested in developing practical strategies to address the increasing disconnect between people and nature caused by rapid urbanization. The research coming from my team aims to inform nature recovery and nature-positive initiatives that foster clear synergies between climate resilience, biodiversity restoration, and human well-being in healthier urban and peri-urban landscapes.

In most of my research projects, I apply interdisciplinary approaches by integrating methods from quantitative modelling and spatial analysis to participatory mapping, and qualitative assessment. I also value the integration of different forms of knowledge and have worked on promoting the use of local traditional knowledge in my projects. To present, I have collaborated with local communities and associations, national and municipal governments, non-governmental organizations, and several research institutes in more than 20 countries across the world, with a particular focus on the Global South. I completed my PhD at Oxford University as part of the Ecosystems Lab at the Environmental Change Institute after working with the Stockholm Environment Institute and different agencies of the United Nations. As a Research and Teaching Fellow at the UBC Urban Forestry program, I co-developed and taught UFOR 220 Urban Forest Inventory and Assessment, UFOR 200 Urban Forest and Well-being, and UFOR 402 Urban Forest Administration, Policy and Law.

Currently, I am looking to work with students interested in conducting grounded research around building social-ecological resilience to climate change through nature-based solutions in urban and peri-urban landscapes. Students interested in working on nature recovery and urban greening case studies that promote climate resilience, biodiversity restoration, and human well-being, please get in touch via email with a letter of interest and CV.