Martin Schmid

Martin Schmid is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Social Ecology (BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna). His career spans multiple roles including Visiting Fellow at the Konrad Lorenz Institute (2024-2025), Deputy Director of Studies at Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, and Head of the Center for Environmental History in Vienna. He has contributed extensively to environmental history with a focus on riverine landscapes, forest transitions, and anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems.

• PhD in Environmental History (University of Vienna, 2007)
• Master in History (University of Vienna, 2002)

His research interests lie at the intersection of human-environment interactions, analyzing how socio-ecological systems evolved over centuries through:

• Industrialization of river systems like the Danube
• Historical forest management practices
• Hydrological infrastructure legacies
• Environmental movements and policy shifts

His 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveal a strong focus on:

• Riverine Anthropocene studies
• Danube River historical ecology
• Forest Transition Theory applications
• Material Flow Analysis in historical contexts
• Hydrological Infrastructure impacts
• Environmental Movement Histories

Awarded the Recognition Award for Teaching (2023) and Distinguished Book Award (2019), he serves as Editor-in-Chief of Water History and participates in numerous scientific committees and peer review panels. His work bridges history with contemporary environmental policy through socio-ecological analysis of long-term transformations in river and forest systems.