Belinda Reyers

Belinda Reyers’ research examines the interdependencies between ecosystems and human wellbeing in Southern Africa, building the knowledge, data, methods, policy context and capacity in the region for this work. Her recent research explores the contribution of theories and methods from social-ecological systems resilience research in development practice and policy. In collaboration with colleagues from research and practice, this work seeks to understand and analyse the role of social-ecological feedbacks, cross-scale dynamics, non-linearities, and resilience capacities in achieving sustainable and equitable futures in the region, especially in the context of more complex, connected and uncertain futures.

Dr. Reyers established and lead the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa for over 10 years. She then took up the role of Director of the Resilience and Development (GRAID) Program at the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University in Sweden. Dr. Reyers is currently a Professor at Future Africa, University of Pretoria; a Senior Advisor at the Stockholm Resilience Centre; and an Extraordinary Professor at the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition, Stellenbosch University, where she is currently based. Dr. Reyers initiated and co-led the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society, a network of leading social-ecological researchers working in southern Africa to develop new theory and tools and grow capacity in the social-ecological systems field, and one of the core case studies within the Future Earth Program on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS). She plays a number of advisory and leadership roles to national and international bodies including: past Vice Chair of the Science Committee of Future Earth and Coordinating Lead Author of the Global and African assessments of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services