Claudia Romero

Claudia Romero is a Senior Research Fellow and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Specialist at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), Australia. Born in Colombia, she holds a PhD in Ecology from the University of Florida and a BSc from Universidad de los Andes. Her research focuses on conservation and development trade-offs related to land-use change, tropical forest management, and policy evaluation. She has extensive field experience across Latin America, Africa, Indonesia, and Australia, specializing in interdisciplinary approaches to natural resource governance.

Key areas of expertise include impact evaluation of forest policies, design of conservation interventions, and analysis of incentives for sustainable resource use. She has led projects on FSC certification auditing, REDD+ opportunity costs, and community-driven reforestation frameworks. Professional memberships include the Australian Evaluation Society, Society for Conservation Biology, and the Science Panel for the Congo Basin.

• Education:
  • PhD in Ecology, University of Florida
  • MSc in Ecology, University of Florida
  • BSc, Universidad de los Andes
• Awards:
  • Neil Mondy Fellowship (2003)
  • Fulbright Scholarship (1995)
  • Compton Foundation Scholarship (1996)
• Grants:
  • "Sylva Carbon, Gabon" (2022–present)
  • "Options to optimise carbon outcomes from tropical forest management" (2021–2023)

Her work emphasizes policy evaluation and hybrid governance models, particularly in balancing forest conservation with economic development goals. Recent articles highlight innovations in liana management for carbon sequestration, FSC certification impacts, and deforestation-free trade frameworks. She advises HDR students on forest policy evaluation and collaborates with international agencies to strengthen conservation practices.