Wayne Twine

Wayne Twine is an Associate Professor at the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand. Based at the Wits Rural Campus in the central lowveld of Limpopo Province, South Africa, he manages the SUNRAE research programme (Sustaining Natural Resources in African Ecosystems). With over twenty years of research experience, his work focuses on the human-environment interface in common-property resource systems in southern Africa.

Dr. Twine holds a BScHons, MSc, and PhD from the University of Natal. His educational background has prepared him for extensive work at the intersection of ecology, social sciences, and resource management in African contexts.

Twine's research interests center on socio-ecological systems, rural livelihoods, natural resource use, food security, and savanna ecology. His work examines how rural communities interact with and depend on natural resources, particularly in the context of common-property resource systems. He investigates community-based natural resource management, sustainability in savanna socio-ecological systems, and the complex relationships between environmental change and human well-being. His approach integrates both scientific and indigenous knowledge systems to develop practical solutions for resource-dependent communities.

His extensive publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on the interconnections between ecological processes and human systems. Twine's work spans diverse topics including fuelwood sustainability, non-timber forest products, food security dynamics, climate variability impacts, and conservation policy. The publications reveal a strong emphasis on applied research that addresses real-world challenges faced by rural communities in southern Africa, particularly in the context of environmental change and resource management.

As an educator, Twine teaches a graduate course in Ethnoecology and an undergraduate field course in People and Conservation at the Wits Rural Campus. His primary responsibilities include conducting research, supervising post-graduate student projects, and lecturing. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the available materials, his ongoing research program and extensive publication record suggest sustained funding support for his work on sustainable natural resource use in rural African communities.

Twine leads the SUNRAE research programme, which aims to generate knowledge, develop human resources, and build community support for sustainable use of natural resources in rural communities. This program represents a significant research infrastructure focused on creating practical solutions that benefit both the environment and local populations in southern Africa.