Nicola McGunnigle

Nicola McGunnigle

School of Social Sciences

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Nicola is a Higher Degree by Research candidate, having just completed cross-disciplinary research on the benefits and challenges of regenerating forest on abandoned agricultural land for sustainable development in the middle hills of Nepal. This research has brought together over twenty years’ professional environmental science experience and her understanding of community development in Nepal. Through interviews and community surveys her research provides farmers’ perceptions to policy makers as well as observations of transition in the socio-ecological landscape.

Nicola is a Higher Degree by Research candidate, having just completed cross-disciplinary research on the benefits and challenges of regenerating forest on abandoned agricultural land for sustainable development in the middle hills of Nepal. This research has brought together over twenty years’ professional environmental science experience and her understanding of community development in Nepal. Through interviews and community surveys her research provides farmers’ perceptions to policy makers as well as observations of transition in the socio-ecological landscape. 

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2022 - 2023 Lecturer, tutor University of Adelaide
    2016 - ongoing Principal Environmental Geologist AECOM Australia Pty Ltd
    2015 - 2016 Funding Advisor International Nepal Fellowship
    2006 - 2015 Associate Environmental Geologist URS Australia Pty Ltd
    2003 - 2005 Consents Officer Hawkes' Bay Regional Council
    2002 - 2003 Compliance Officer Otago Regional Council
    2000 - 2002 Environmental Geologist Tonkin & Taylor
    1999 - 1999 Volunteer teacher World Youth International
    1997 - 1998 Geologist Pasminco
    1995 - 1997 Geologist Pasminco

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    1993 - 1995 University of Waikato New Zealand MSc (first class hons)
    1990 - 1992 University of Waikato New Zealand BSc

  • Research Interests
    Environmental Sciences Environmental Sociology Adaptation to climate change Health and ecological risk assessment Social and Cultural Geography

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2025 McGunnigle, N., Bardsley, D., Nuberg, I., & Pandit, B. H. (2025). Is rewilding too wild? Assessing the benefits and challenges of forest succession on abandoned land in the mid-hills of Nepal. People and Nature, 7(2), 415-433.
    DOI Scopus2
    2025 McGunnigle, N., Bardsley, D., Nuberg, I., Cedamon, E., & Pandit, B. H. (2025). Intermediate levels of socio-ecological disturbance drive higher biodiversity in naturally regenerating forests: A case study from Nepal. Journal of Rural Studies, 115, 14 pages.
    DOI Scopus1
    2025 McGunnigle, N. K., Bardsley, D. K., & Nuberg, I. K. (2025). Rewilding in the developing world as an alternative development pathway: The example of forest regeneration in the middle hills of Nepal. Environmental Development, 55, 101225.
    DOI
    2023 McGunnigle, N., Bardsley, D., Nuberg, I., Cedamon, E., & Pandit, B. H. (2023). The Succession of Farmers' Perceptions of Transitioning Landscapes - A Case Study of Agroforestry in the Middle Hills of Nepal. Human Ecology, 51(4), 699-717.
    DOI Scopus7 WoS1
    2023 McGunnigle, N., Bardsley, D., Nuberg, I., Cedamon, E., & Pandit, B. H. (2023). Correction to: The Succession of Farmers’ Perceptions of Transitioning Landscapes – A Case Study of Agroforestry in the Middle Hills of Nepal. Human Ecology, 51(4), 719.
    DOI

Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research project, ACIAR FST/2017/037, “Enhancing livelihoods from improved forest management in Nepal – EnLiFT2".

The Crawford Fund Student Travel Award

GEOG 1104 Sustainability and Society

GEOG 2142 - Climate Change

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