Margaret Friedel

Dr. Margaret Friedel is an Adjunct Professor at the Research Institute for Environment & Livelihoods within Charles Darwin University's Faculty of Science and Technology, Environment. She holds affiliations with CSIRO Land & Water as an Honorary Fellow (2010-2019) and served as Officer-in-Charge of CSIRO's Central Australian Laboratory (2002-2009). Her research focuses on arid rangeland ecology, invasive species management, and integrating indigenous knowledge into land-use decision-making. She has contributed to policy development, land rehabilitation, and interdisciplinary research in Australia and internationally.

Her career spans over 40 years with significant contributions to understanding nutrient cycling in Australian grazing lands, rangeland monitoring techniques, and historical institutional analysis of CSIRO's role in central Australian research. Awards include the Australian Public Service Medal (2007) and Fellowship in the Australian Rangeland Society (2017).

Recent research emphasizes fire management practices, vegetation dynamics, and community-based approaches in arid zone governance. She leads projects documenting CSIRO's historical contributions to central Australian science and land management strategies.

Key collaborations include work with South African, Indian, US, and Mongolian institutions. Her work aligns with UN SDGs related to sustainable land management (SDG 15) and climate action (SDG 13).