Carolin Seiferth investigates the role of knowledge co-production in strengthening collective efforts to address sustainability challenges, like water scarcity, in inclusive and equitable ways.

As part of her PhD studies, Seiferth conducts research on Öland, Sweden. The island has experienced extreme weather events over the past years, leading to low groundwater levels, recurring droughts, and water shortage. To address these challenges, she initiated and facilitated a workshop series to ensure an inclusive, community-based approach to managing water in the landscape, for example through wetland restoration. Different actors contributed their respective knowledge on climate change and resource governance, which allows Seiferth to explore how knowledge co-production can strengthen collective efforts and support the implementation of novel solutions. Drawing on place-based and relational learning theories, her research also sets out to understand the individual and joint learning which occurs in carefully designed knowledge co-production processes.

Seiferth holds an MSc in Sustainable Destination Development from Uppsala University with a focus on nature-based tourism and cultural heritage studies. Prior to her studies in Sweden, she completed her BA in Leisure and Tourism Management at the University of Applied Sciences Stralsund, Germany. As part of her undergraduate studies, she spent two semesters at Niagara College, Canada, and joined Cayuga Collection as a sustainability and project management intern in Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Seiferth is an active member of the working group Transdisciplinarity for Transformation, which is part of the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS). She is also involved in the Working Group on Tourism Research (AKTF).

As part of the Baltic Sea Festival Science Lab, Seiferth performed the piece “Dialogues” to raise awareness about water scarcity issues on Öland. With an interest in combining research with music, she is currently exploring new ways to inspire different audiences to address challenges related to a changing climate.

Supervisors

Maria Tengö
Erik Andersson