Dr
Jimmy
O'Keeffe
Academic biography
I am an Assistant Professor in the School of History and Geography at Dublin City University where I lecture on the newly formed Climate and Environmental Sustainability course. I teach a variety of modules including Spatial Analysis, Biogeography and Ecology, and Geographical Techniques.
In 2016 I received a PhD from Imperial College London where I worked as a Research Associate until 2021. My main research interests surround understanding the many complex links and feedbacks between the human and natural environments. This involves spending time with a wide variety of stakeholders including farmers, property developers, NGO’s, City Councils and regulatory bodies.
Previous research projects focus on understanding the intersections between development (urban and rural) and natural capital. I explore how natural capital and nature-based solutions can improve the lives of stakeholders while enhancing resilience to environmental and societal change.
My work also focuses on understanding the challenges faced and opportunities available to water users, particularly in developing regions of the world. I have extensive field experience and use real world insights to develop modelling tools for improving understanding and testing potential solutions. I have previously worked on NERC and Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences funded projects collaborating with researchers in the UK and India, examining water management in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. I have also helped develop the WISA (Water Initiative South Asia) network in collaboration with the British Council, connecting a wide variety of researchers, policy makers and industry specialists from the UK, South Asia and the Middle East.
Research interests
Natural Capital
Ecosystem Services
Nature Based Solutions
Systems Thinking and Systems Modelling
Water Resources
Human-Natural Environment Interactions