Research

Research focus

Natural resources provide essential ecosystem services that are crucial to human well-being. Natural resource management is a wide-ranging research area which studies the impact of humans on the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources, and aims to provide insight for reducing harmful impacts of humans on nature. Research conducted at the department is based on the expertise of our researchers, as well as on different agendas, such as the SDG’s 2030, findings from the Sustainability of the Guiana Shield conference 2019, and the Development plan of Suriname 2022-2026 (MOP 2022-2026).

Ultimately, the research themes of the Department of SMNR are focussed on water, energy, land, food (as they are essential for many life-supporting functions, basic human needs, and development), ecosystems, and the interrelatedness of these themes (i.e. the WELF nexus).  Research includes analyzing and modelling human induced, as wel as natural land use changes and the impacts of these changes on natural resources, analyzing and modelling the trends in energy resources to meet our future energy needs, water resources management under different management and climate change scenarios, sustainable food production methods to ensure food security, and the impact of human activities and natural phenomea on biodiversity and other ecosystem services.

The different focus areas have interdepartmental collaboration such as with the department of Electrical technology to study solar energy, for example, and with the department of Agricultural production, which holds the Chair in Agricultural Production with an emphasis on Climate Smart Agriculture. The SMNR department funds the greenhouse of the Agricultural department, wherein research is conducted.