Dr. Michel Valette

Biography

Michel Valette is a PhD candidate at the Centre of Environmental Policy at Imperial College London and the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society. He works on the relationship between environmental policies and fire regimes in the Brazilian Amazon, using a mixed-method approach. His research employs spatio-temporal models to understand the influence of climate change, forest degradation, land use changes, and the types of fires in the region. Valette has developed a project with a local fire brigade to delve deeper into the changing wildfire risks linked to fire use on indigenous lands, combining satellite data analysis with social science methods like seasonal calendar and participatory mapping. His research also focuses on seed supply for forest landscape restoration, collaborating with Bioversity International. He takes a systemic approach to understand the seed supply system to improve the provision of high-quality planting materials, ensure genetic diversity for resilience in planted tree populations, and promote the active participation of local communities in seed collection. Valette believes that research conducted across spatial scales and integrating diverse knowledge systems is key to enhancing the effectiveness of environmental policies and ensuring fairness while mitigating potential adverse effects. He emphasizes the importance of dialogues among the academic community, policymakers, and practitioners to address the increasingly complex interrelated environmental and social challenges.

Research Interests

Experience