University of Basel
swisspeace:
Conflict and peace
swisspeace conducts research on conflict and peace with a focus on the role of political and economic actors in post-conflict settings as well as on the impact of climate change on resource-use conflicts. It draws upon theories of statehood and the dynamics of political legitimacy, multi-stakeholder approaches to mediation and peacebuilding, and impact studies regarding the effects of climate change on local populations in the global South.
Swiss TPH:
Health, services, and planning
Health is not just a benefit of sustainable development – it is a prerequisite for such development. For populations trying to escape cycles of poverty, high vulnerability to disease is one of the biggest obstacles. Research in this area primarily aims to find ways of integrating effective health and sanitation strategies into participatory planning processes. Determinants of vulnerability and resilience, improved environmental sanitation, and interventions that reduce health burdens form the heart of research.
University of Bern
CDE:
Natural resources, economy, governance
The aim of research in this area is to support rural development through sustainable use of renewable natural resources. It emphasizes scientific innovation and societal relevance, linking a specialized focus on natural resources (e.g. soil and water) and biodiversity with an integrative focus on sustainable development. The researchers consider natural resources with regard to problems, processes, potentials, and pathways of sustainable development.
University of Lausanne
IGD:
Development, societies and environments
The DSE research group focuses on development processes, actors and practices in view of contributing to improved socioeconomic living conditions and environmental sustainability. Current research is structured around three interrelated axes: (1) natural resource management/politics; (2) multilevel environmental governance; (3) urban and rural transformations. This research group emphasizes political ecological theoretical and practical approaches grounded in fieldwork, mostly in countries of the global South, and developed in collaboration with non-academic organizations.
University of Zurich
DSGZ:
Livelihoods and globalization
DSGZ research on livelihoods and globalization strives to understand social change and its consequences in local contexts, and the links between these contexts and global processes. The research is positioned within theories of practice and seeks to understand how people construct and change their livelihoods through social practices in different localities, embedded in different networks and relationships.
