Prof. Dr L.J. de Haan

Former research staff member

Focus:		Benin; West Africa
Telephone:		+31 (0)71 527 3376
Fax:		+31 (0)71 527 3344
E-mail:

Prof. Leo de Haan was the director of the African Studies Centre from 1 September 2004 until 1 May 2010 and he was Professor in the Development of Sub-Saharan Africa at Leiden University. As of 1 May 2010, Prof. Leo de Haan has taken over from Prof. Louk de la Rive Box as rector of the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague.

Leo de Haan’s main research interests are the conceptualization of rural and urban African livelihoods; international and national migration patterns resulting in the multi-locality of livelihoods; and the multi-dimensionality of poverty.

His previous research focused on the commercialization of agriculture, environmental management and resource conflicts among peasants and pastoralists, and pastoral livelihoods and geography, including man-land relations.

Leo de Haan was Associate Professor in Human Geography of Developing Countries at the University of Amsterdam until 1999 and Professor of Development Studies at the University of Nijmegen until August 2004.

Projects

Ongoing:

The conceptualization of rural and urban livelihoods among Africa’s poor and processes of social inclusion and exclusion, with special attention being paid to increased multi-dimensionality and multi-locality due to the impact of globalization.

Completed:

1. New Forms of Development Cooperation within the Framework of the Sustainable Development Treaty between the Netherlands and Benin (Dutch Development Cooperation)
2. Meta-evaluation of the African poverty alleviation programme of Plan International NL (Stuurgroep Evaluatie Medefinancieringsorganisaties)
3. Design of instruments to stimulate development cooperation at the municipal level in the Netherlands (NCDO)
4. Agriculteurs et Eleveurs au Nord-Bénin: Consequences écologiques d'interdépendence transformée: An inquiry into land degradation and conservation, environmental management and livelihood interactions of peasants and pastoralists in Northern Benin. Participants: University of Amsterdam, University of Ghent, Université Nationale du Bénin, Centre National d'Agro-Pédologie Benin and Centre National de Télédétection Benin (European Commission)
5. Associations Pastorales et Gestion de l'Environnement: A multi-disciplinary research project of land management by pastoral groups in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Participants: University of Amsterdam, Université de Niamey Université de Ouagadougou Institut d'Economie Rurale and Université de Saint-Louis. (European Commission)
6. Market integration of pastoralists and the cattle trade in Burkina Faso and Benin. Participants: University of Amsterdam, University College of London, Université de Ouagadougou and Université Nationale du Bénin (European Commission)
7. Interaction between Migration, Land & Water Management and Resource Exploitation in the Oases of the Magreb: A comparative and multi-disciplinary study of agricultural innovation and the transformation of oases in the Magreb under the impact of international labour migration. Participants: University of Nijmegen, University of Amsterdam, Université Mohammed V Rabat, Université Mohammed I Oujda, Institut des Régions Arides Medenine, and Estacion Experimental de Zonas Aridas Almeria (European Commission)
8. Curriculum development for the Environmental Sciences for Sustainable Development Unit of Université Nationale du Bénin. Participants: Various Dutch universities and Beninse ministries (Dutch Development Cooperation)

& List of publications

Key publications