Jonas Åkerman Email & Phone Number

Sweden

Lund, Sverige

Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography. Been active at the Department of Physical Geography since 1967. My research focuses on arctic and alpine environments especially periglacial processes and permafrost. Main field research areas Svalbard, focus upon the geomorphology and periglacial processes in relation to climate and its variations. The fieldwork was initiated in 1972 and is still ongoing making monitoring of the periglacial processes and their climatic relations within this area to one of the longest uninterrupted series of its kind. A similar monitoring programme, which started in 1978, is going on in the Abiskoarea in Sweden. Parallel with arctic and alpine environments I have been active in applied development projects within the agricultural and rural development sector. Through long term assignments in India, and Africa within projects concerning environmental management and development issues, agriculture, agroforestry, soil erosion and conservation and general rural development I have a wide and long international experience. These assignments as technical adviser within ministries of Agriculture (India, Lesotho, Zambia) and Environment (Kenya, Zambia) and project manager within UN, Sida/SAREC & SADC financed projects give me a wide background on practical applied development issues in the field and from the management side of sustainable development issues. My specific interests include the role of smallholder and subsistence farmers as main actors in a sustainable rural development process, environmentally sound and sustainable land use, environmental impact assessment, training and extension issues.My teaching includes almost all aspects of Physical Geography and at all levels; geomorphology periglacial geomorphology, environmental change, soil science and climatology, hydrology, & photogrammetry.

Lund, Sverige