Rima Mekdaschi Studer

Rima Mekdaschi Studer is a Senior Research Scientist specializing in sustainable land systems at the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern. With field experience across Niger, Syria, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mongolia, her work focuses on dryland restoration, climate adaptation, and knowledge management for land degradation neutrality.

• Key affiliations: World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT), World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWC)
• Geographic expertise: Dryland regions in Africa, Middle East, and Asia

Research Interests center on:

• Sustainable land management in arid regions
• Climate change adaptation/mitigation strategies
• Agroforestry implementation
• Plant water relations and nutrition analysis
• Capacity building for land restoration
• Networking for global SLM implementation

Publication Trends show a consistent focus on dryland conservation, with recent works addressing gender integration (2024), climate adaptation frameworks (2023), and participatory planning (2022). Collaborative outputs emphasize technical guidelines (2019), cross-regional comparisons (2020), and knowledge dissemination (2016).

Professional Contributions include leading the WOCAT program and developing decision support tools for land managers. She has authored/coauthored 31 publications, with 10 recent works spanning 2016-2024.

Languages & Networks: Fluent in English, German, French, and Arabic. Active in global soil/water conservation networks.