Nicola is a Research Fellow based at the University of Leeds, UK. He has a PhD in Environmental Sustainability and 10-years’ experience in mixed-method, multi-level environmental research across dryland sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. His core competencies include participatory livelihood impact assessments focused on agro- ecosystems, policy and stakeholder analysis and advice, and research project design, coordination and implementation. Throughout his work focused on addressing complex international development challenges and bridging major science-policy gaps, Nicola has undertaken research and managerial roles across a range of international organisations (i.e. United Nations University, United Nations Development Programme, European Commission). In his work as Environmental Economist and Project Coordinator of the Economics of Land Degradation Initiative at the United Nations University, Nicola led the development, coordination and implementation of a range of capacity-building activities, including Massive Open Online Courses on environmental sustainability with thousands of registered participants. Nicola’s key research interests include: - Sustainable land management and ecosystem service valuation - Agriculture and rural development - Climate change mitigation, adaptation and sustainable development - Sustainable energy