Niak Sian Koh

Niak is an interdisciplinary researcher in sustainability science, focusing on global environmental governance, climate and biodiversity policy, biodiversity finance, biodiversity offsets, and human rights. Her research interests are centered around achieving global biodiversity goals through a rights-based approach, an equity lens, and a recognition of indigenous and local knowledge.

She has worked on case studies ranging from hydropower in the Mekong region to biodiversity offset policies in several countries, including the US, Germany, Sweden, and Madagascar, as well as policy processes such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. Her work is situated within the science-policy interface and she is passionate about engaging with sustainability through research, policy, and education. She contributes to ongoing policy processes as a fellow of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Business and Biodiversity assessment and a member of the Indigenous and Local Knowledge Liaison Group.

Her postdoctoral research is funded by the EU Horizon 2020 project ‘GoNaturePositive!,’ which aims to facilitate transformative action towards a nature-positive economy among policymakers, businesses, and society at large.