MEET THE TEAM
Helena Muhamad Varkkey
Project Leader - Universiti Malaya
Malaysia
Dr Helena Varkkey is an Associate Professor of Environmental Politics at the Department of International and Strategic Studies, Universiti Malaya. Her areas of expertise include transboundary haze, land use change governance in Southeast Asia, and the global politics of palm oil and climate change. Her monograph, “The Haze Problem in Southeast Asia: Palm Oil and Politics” was published by Routledge in 2016.
Matthew Ashfold
Collaborator - Nottingham University
Malaysia
Dr Matthew Ashfold is an Associate Professor in the School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. His research interests encompass various aspects of atmospheric and climate science, often in the context of tropical Asia. Current research priorities include the impacts of climate change on air pollution and co-emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants
Sharon Seah
Collaborator - Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS)
Singapore
Ms Sharon Seah is Senior Fellow and Coordinator at the ASEAN Studies Centre and the Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. Her research interests include ASEAN, multilateralism, the rule of law, and climate change. Ms Seah graduated with a Master’s in Public and International Law from the University of Melbourne in 2018. She is the lead author of The State of Southeast Asia Survey Report and the Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey Report.
Gusti Z. Anshari
Collaborator - Universitas Tanjungpura
Indonesia
Dr. Gusti Anshari is a Professor at the Soil Science Department and Environmental Science post-graduate studies at Tanjungpura University, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. He obtained a PhD in Geography and Environmental Science from Monash University, Australia. He has worked as a tropical peatland researcher for the last 20 years. He is currently contributing to Chapter 2 of IPCC AR-6 report as the lead author.
Alex Lechner
Collaborator - Monash University
Indonesia
Prof. Alex Lechner is a landscape ecologist and Professor, teaching on the Master of Urban Design. He is also an adjunct fellow at the University of Queensland and an honorary Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. His research focuses on developing methods to support sustainable planning and participatory decision-making through developing novel spatial approaches, including ecosystem services modelling, wildlife connectivity analyses, remote sensing and participatory web-based GIS mapping
Siti Asdiah
Research Assistant - Universiti Malaya
Malaysia
Ms Asdiah is PhD student at Universiti Malaya. Her areas of expertise include refugees, diasporas, brain drain, and civil society. She has gained valuable research and teaching experience, as well as professional experience in the Malaysian government, international organizations, and businesses. She is particularly interested in the issues related to migration especially among Malaysians. She is also passionate about environmental issues,
Nurisa F Wijayanti
Research Assistant - Monash University
Indonesia
Ms. Nurisa is an Environmental Geography graduate. Her research interests revolve around Hydrology, Environmental Conservation, and Community Development. She has gained professional experience as a consultant in the Indonesian government. With her aptitude for modeling hydrology, she has contributed to several projects.
Fatima Tuzzahara Alkaf
Research Assistant - Universiti Malaya
Malaysia
Ms. Fatima is a Senior Lecturer of Economics at the Study Program of Management, Universitas Pancasila, Jakarta. Currently a Ph.D. student at the Department of Economics, University of Malaya. Her areas of expertise include international economics, economic development and growth, and regional economics. She has involved in grant research in collaboration with the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education Indonesia.
