Poonam Jusrut
Poonam Jusrut is an independent researcher from Mauritius with a background in international development and the human dimensions of environmental change. She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MSc in Development and the Environment from Royal Holloway, University of London. In March 2024, she presented an original research paper entitled “Buying a Piece of Paradise: Real Estate Schemes in the Era of Land Foreignisation in Mauritius” at the International Conference on Global Land Grabbing in Bogotá, Colombia.
Poonam’s countries of focus include Mauritius and Senegal, where she studied development projects focused on enhancing equitable access to livelihoods for vulnerable communities. She is proficient in qualitative research methods, particularly ethnographic approaches, and has skills in GIS and data analysis. Fluent in English, French, and Mauritian Creole, she is an effective communicator and remains committed to exploring inclusive approaches to development and environmental governance.
Recent publications:
Jusrut, P. (2022). Localization of elite capture in wood charcoal production and trade: Implications for development outcomes of a forest management program in rural Senegal. Forest Policy and Economics.
Jusrut, P. (2016). The process of institutional choice and recognition for decentralized forest management in charcoal-producing zones of Tambacounda, Senegal. Responsive Forest Governance Initiative (RFGI), Working Paper No. 32.
Mandondo, A., & Jusrut, P. (2016). Waiting for democratic representation in Africa’s social forests. Responsive Forest Governance Initiative (RFGI), Working Paper No. 24.
Jusrut, P., & Kalipeni, E. (2012). An analysis of gender-based reversal in life expectancy in southern Africa. Geojournal, 77(4), 541-555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-011-9423-0
Moise, I., Kalipeni, E., Jusrut, P., & Iwelunmor, J. (2017). Assessing the reduction of infant mortality rates in Malawi over the 1990-2010 decades. Global Public Health.