Paul Munro

Scientia Associate Professor in Human Geography
Associate Professor

I am a Scientia Associate Professor in Human Geography within the Environment and Society Group at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney,. I also recently completed a visiting research fellow at the Maria Sibylla Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), University of Ghana (September to December, 2020).

I have an established research record in the fields of political ecology and environmental history, and have written extensively on forest governance and energy justice, with a particular geographical focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. My current research is focused on the changing geographies of energy poverty. This has include an interest in how the emergence of new technologies (e.g., small-scale photovoltaic power), new trade dynamics and financial platforms (e.g., mobile money) have reshaped how people realise their energy needs in poor rural settings. I am currently engaged in research in  Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Malawi and Vanuatu.

I have also written extensively on forest governance in Sierra Leone, drawing from large-scale research projects that have been funded by the European Union, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and USAID. Drawing on this research, in 2020 I authored the monograph: Colonial Seeds in Africa Soil: a critical history of forest conservation in Sierra Leone.

publications
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Books
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Munro P, 2020, Colonial Seeds in African Soil A Critical History of Forest Conservation in Sierra Leone, Berghahn Books
2020
Book Chapters
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Jenkins K; Samarakoon S; Munro P, 2019, 'Energy economics as an energy justice dilemma: Case studies of normative trade-offs in Malawi, Mexico and Germany', in Soytaş U; Sarı R (ed.), Routledge Handbook of Energy Economics, Routledge, London, pp. 317 - 328, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315459653
2019
Munro PG; van der Horst G, 2015, 'Breaks with the Past: Conflict, Displacement, Resettlement and the Evolution of Forest Socio-Ecologies in Sierra Leone', in Lahai JL; Lyons T (ed.), African Frontiers Insurgency, Governance and Peacebuilding in Postcolonial States, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., pp. 119 - 130
2015
Conference Papers
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Munro PG; Hiemstra-van der Horst G, 2010, 'Conserving exploitation? A political ecology of forestry management in Sierra Leone', in Conserving exploitation? A political ecology of forestry management in Sierra Leone, 33rd conference of the African Studies Association of Australia and the Pacific,, Melbourne: Victoria University, presented at 33rd conference of the African Studies Association of Australia and the Pacific,, Melbourne: Victoria University, 02 December 2010 - 04 December 2010
2010
Munro PG, 2010, 'The Role of Water? Henequen, Chicle and the Caste War on the Yucatan Peninsula; 1800 to 1950', in The Role of Water? Henequen, Chicle and the Caste War on the Yucatan Peninsula; 1800 to 1950, Mexico: Revolution, Independence and Beyond Conference 2010, Canberra: Australian National University,, presented at Mexico: Revolution, Independence and Beyond Conference 2010, Canberra: Australian National University,, 05 July 2010 - 06 July 2010
2010
Conference Presentations
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Melo Zurita M; Munro PG, 2017, 'The Subterranean Protagonist: Colonisation, water and the underground in Mexico', presented at Association of American Geographers Conference, Boston, 05 April 2017 - 09 April 2017
2017
Munro P; Melo Zurita M, 2016, 'Exploring, Constructing and Commodifying the Underground: An environmental history of cave diving in the Yucatan Peninsula', presented at Environmental History and its Publics, American Society for Environmental History Conference, Seattle, 30 March 2016 - 03 April 2016
2016
Munro P; Melo Zurita M, 2010, 'The Role of Water? Henequen, Chicle and the Caste War on the Yucatan Peninsula; 1800 to 1950', presented at Mexico: Revolution, Independence and Beyond Conference 2010, Australian National University: Canberra, 05 July 2010 - 06 July 2010
2010
Journal articles
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Macpherson-Rice B; Munro PG; de Rijke K, 2020, 'Energy solution or future pollution? Applying an energy justice perspective to coal seam gas in New South Wales', Australian Geographer, vol. 51, pp. 69 - 85, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2019.1690771
2020
Munro P, 2020, 'On, off, below and beyond the urban electrical grid the energy bricoleurs of Gulu Town', Urban Geography, vol. 41, pp. 428 - 447, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2019.1698867
2020
Munro PG; Samarakoon S; van der Horst GA, 2020, 'African energy poverty: A moving target', Environmental Research Letters, vol. 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abaf1a
2020
Munro P; Schiffer A, 2019, 'Ethnographies of Electricity Scarcity: mobile phone charging spaces and the recrafting of energy poverty in Africa', Energy and Buildings, vol. 188-189, pp. 175 - 183, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.01.038
2019
Munro PG; Bartlett A, 2019, 'Energy bricolage in Northern Uganda: Rethinking energy geographies in Sub-Saharan Africa', Energy Research and Social Science, vol. 55, pp. 71 - 81, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.04.016
2019
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Munro PG; Bartlett AL; Dhizaala JT; Laloyo SA; Oswin SO; Walker S, 2019, 'International fieldschool reciprocity: using a whole-of-university approach to create positive change in Northern Uganda', Higher Education Research & Development, vol. 38, pp. 1461 - 1474., http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1657071
2019
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Melo Zurita MDL; Munro PG, 2019, 'Voluminous territorialisation: Historical contestations over the Yucatan Peninsula’s subterranean waterscape', Geoforum, vol. 102, pp. 38 - 47, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2019.03.019
2019
Melo Zurita M; Cook B; Thomsen DC; Munro PG; Smith TF; Gallina J, 2018, 'Living with disasters: social capital for disaster governance', Disasters, vol. 42, pp. 471 - 589, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/disa.12257
2018
Melo Zurita M; Munro PG; Houston D, 2018, 'Un-earthing the Subterranean Anthropocene', Area, vol. 50, pp. 298 - 305, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/area.12369
2018
Kirksey E; Munro P; Van Dooren T; Emery D; Kreller AM; Kwok J; Miller M; Morris K; Newson S; Olejniczak E; Ow A; Tuckson K; Sannen S; Martin J, 2018, 'Feeding the flock: Wild cockatoos and their Facebook friends', Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, vol. 1, pp. 602 - 620, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2514848618799294
2018
Silva Ontiveros L; Munro PG; Melo Zurita M, 2018, 'Proyectos de Muerte: Energy justice conflicts on Mexico’s unconventional gas frontier', Extractive Industries and Society, vol. 5, pp. 481 - 481, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2018.06.010
2018
Melo Zurita M; Thomsen DC; Holbrook NJ; Smith TF; Lyth A; Munro PG; de Bruin A; Seddaiu G; Roggero PP; Baird J; Plummer R; Bullock R; Collins K; Powell N, 2018, 'Global water governance and Climate Change: Identifying innovative arrangements for adaptive transformation', Water (Switzerland), vol. 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w10010029
2018
Munro P; van der Horst G; Healy S, 2017, 'Energy justice for all? Rethinking Sustainable Development Goal 7 through struggles over traditional energy practices in Sierra Leone', Energy Policy, vol. 105, pp. 635 - 641, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.01.038
2017
Samarakoon S; Christiansen A; Munro PG, 2017, 'Equitable and Quality Education for All of Africa? The Challenges of Using ICT in Education', Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, vol. 16, pp. 645 - 665, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15691497-12341454
2017
de Rijke K; Munro P; Melo Zurita MDL, 2016, 'The Great Artesian Basin: A Contested Resource Environment of Subterranean Water and Coal Seam Gas in Australia', Society and Natural Resources, vol. 29, pp. 696 - 710, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2015.1122133
2016
Munro PG; van der Horst G, 2016, 'Contesting African landscapes: A critical reappraisal of Sierra Leones competing forest cover histories', Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, vol. 34, pp. 706 - 724, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0263775815622210
2016
Munro PG; van der Horst G; Willans S; Kemeny P; Christiansen A; Schiavone N, 2016, 'Social enterprise development and renewable energy dissemination in Africa: The experience of the community charging station model in Sierra Leone', Progress in Development Studies, vol. 16, pp. 24 - 38, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1464993415608080
2016
Munro PG, 2015, 'Geza Teleki and the Emergence of Sierra Leone’s Wildlife Conservation Movement', Primate Conservation, vol. 29, pp. 115 - 122, http://dx.doi.org/10.1896/052.029.0112
2015
Munro PG, 2015, 'Book Review: Global Population: History, Geopolitics and Life on Earth', Australian Journal of Politics and History, vol. 61, pp. 476 - 477
2015
Kemeny P; Munro PG; Schiavone N; van der Horst G; Willans S, 2014, 'Community Charging Stations in rural sub-Saharan Africa: Commercial success, positive externalities, and growing supply chains', Energy for Sustainable Development, vol. 23, pp. 228 - 236, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2014.09.005
2014
Jacobson C; Hughey KFD; Lynch AJJ; Nursey-Bray N; O'Connell M; Munro PG; Vella K; Whiley D; Dovers S; Carter, R RW, 2014, 'Twenty years of pacifying responses to environmental management', Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 21, pp. 143 - 174, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14486563.2014.917594
2014
Munro PG; Hiemstra van der Horst G, 2011, 'Conserving exploitation? A political ecology of forestry management in Sierra Leone', The Australasian Review of African Studies, vol. 21, pp. 59 - 72, http://www.informit.com.au/products/productdetails.aspx?id=1447-8420&container=IELIND
2011
Hiemstra-van der Horst G; Munro PG; Batterbury S, 2011, 'Les réseaux illégaux du pillage: La demande globale de bois et la (re)commercialisation des forêts d’Afrique de l’Ouest', Écologie & Politique, vol. 42, pp. 47 - 58
2011
Munro PG; Hiemstra-van der Horst G, 2011, 'zzzzzzzz Conserving exploitation? A political ecology of forestry policy in Sierra Leone', AUSTRALASIAN REVIEW OF AFRICAN STUDIES, vol. 32, pp. 59 - 78, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000216273200005&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
2011
Munro PG, 2011, 'Africa's Turn? A Boston Review Book', PROGRESS IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, vol. 11, pp. 260 - 261, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/146499341001100310
2011
Munro PG; Melo Zurita MDL, 2011, 'The Role of Cenotes in the Social History of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula', Environment and History, vol. 17, pp. 583 - 612, http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734011X13150366551616
2011
Munro PG, 2011, 'BOOK REVIEW: Emma Christopher. A Merciless Place: The Lost Story of Britain's Convict Disaster in Africa and How it Led to the Settlement of Australia', The Australasian Review of African Studies, vol. 32, pp. 152 - 153
2011
Munro PG, 2009, 'Deforestation: Constructing Problems and Solutions on Sierra Leone's Freetown Peninsula', The Journal of Political Ecology, vol. 16, pp. 104 - 124
2009
Munro PG; Melo Zurita M, 2009, 'Aprendiendo del pasado: Impactos históricos de intervenciones en la agricultura de Sierra Leona', Ecología Política, vol. 38, pp. 92 - 95
2009
Reports
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Munro PG; van der Horst G, 2012, The governance and trade of wood-based products in and around the Kambui Hills North Forest Reserve, Freetown
2012
Munro PG; van der Horst G, 2012, The Domestic Trade in Timber and Fuelwood Products in Sierra Leone: current dynamics and issues, FLEGT: FAO/EU
2012
van der Horst G; Munro PG, Land cover assessment of the Kambui Hills North Forest Reserve and its surrounds, EFO, Freetown

Area of expertise
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  • Forest Goverance in Africa
  • Energy Transitions in the Global South
  • Off-grid solar geographies

 

 
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Subject areas
lensHistory
lensEnvironment & Society