Associate Professor Kamaljit Sangha works as an Outstanding Future Researcher in Ecological Economics at the Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University. She has developed skills and knowledge in the trans-disciplinary area of Ecological Economics—intersecting ecological, economic, and social sciences—over the last 20 years. Her main research interests include:
- Understanding and highlighting the role of natural systems for human wellbeing (particularly, for Indigenous and local communities);
- Valuing ecosystems for their services (Ecosystem Services) to inform policy decision making;
- Developing Payments for Ecosystem Services mechanisms;
- Sustainable natural resource management by integrating socio-economic and ecological perspectives;
- Understanding the role of 'country' for Indigenous wellbeing through evaluating marketable (tangible) and non-marketable (intangible) benefits;
- Assessing the 'true value' of small-scale agricultural system to promote and support sustainable, local economies.
- Informing and advocating for transitioning conventional economies to developing local, sustainable economies.
Kamaljit is also the author of a book, Ways to live in harmony with nature, published by JoJo Publishing, Victoria. She outlines how we can realise the importance of Mother Nature’s services and benefits in our daily living and better manage our natural resources.
She is also co-editor of Sustainable land sector development in Northern Australia: Indigenous rights, aspirations and cultural responsibilities, a book published by CRC press, USA.
Kamaljit has been working closely with Indigenous communities in northern Australia. She has developed an Indigenous ecosystem services specific framework, applying the capability approach and suggesting two-way relationships between land and people. She has developed innovative methods to evaluate ecosystem services from local and Indigenous perspectives.
Kamaljit has published ~100 articles in various national and international journals and conference proceedings.