Dr Dora Carias Vega | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Dr Dora Carias Vega has a PhD in Natural Resource Management from the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. She has worked with the Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, Forest Research Institute, in the University of the Sunshine Coast for the last five years.

In 2022 she joined the Social Engagement team in Project Tarsier and in 2024 became Social Engagement team leader. Her responsibilities include staff coordination to carry out for Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) processes and other forms social engagement and consultation. She also worked in Costa Rica for sixteen years as coordinator of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and community engagement processes. She led multidisciplinary teams in EIAs for hydropower, solar, geothermal and transmission/distribution projects. She was also involved in Economic and Social Project Appraisals for a several infrastructure projects.

Her current research is focused on value chain development for small scale producers in Southeast Asia and the Pacific; developing inclusive value chains within forest landscape restoration initiatives; and improving community engagement in long-term reforestation processes. Her PhD research analysed the organization of Community Forestry Enterprises using case studies from Mexico and Guatemala.