Matthew Weaver

Matthew is a postdoctoral fellow conducting research in the water governance domain. His academic career started with an honours degree in conservation ecology at Stellenbosch University, where his interest in
linked human-environmental systems took root.

After an environmental fix of safari guiding and travelling, he furthered his studies at Rhodes University to address problems centred on social-ecological issues. He relishes the challenge of working on these problems as they are typically complex, uncertain, involve multiple stakeholders with outcomes that are mostly transformative – engender positive societal and environmental change.

Complex water problems are his current focus, as demonstrated in his MSc thesis, which explored the role of civil society organisations in integrated water resource management (IWRM) at a local government scale. He
expanded this research in his doctoral thesis to explore the engagement of civil society in water governance processes in the Makana Local Municipality.

Matthew completed his doctoral study in March 2019. He is currently working to make a meaningful, applied contribution to IWRM in South Africa by continuing his engaged research in the participatory water governance space.