Sopheak Chann

Sopheak Chann is a Lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Kentucky. Holding a PhD from the University of Sydney, his research examines the intersection of environmental change, resource conflicts, and development politics in post-conflict Cambodia. His work adopts political ecology frameworks to analyze hydropower development impacts, climate migration, and land governance transformations.

Research focuses on four key themes:

• Hydro-social transformations and community displacement
• Resource frontier dynamics in post-conflict settings
• Climate vulnerability and adaptation strategies
• Decolonial approaches to geographical knowledge production

Fieldwork-intensive publications investigate the socio-ecological impacts of Cambodia's Lower Sesan 2 Dam, Tonle Sap Lake communities facing displacement, and climate migration narratives shaped by geopolitical history. Methodologically, his work combines spatial analysis with community ethnography to examine power relations in environmental governance.