K.J. Walma (Kornelis)

I’m a PhD candidate at Open Universiteit Netherlands, and a guest researcher at iSiS Nijmegen, working within the transdisciplinary CurveBend project. My research explores how farmers, nature conservationists, and citizens organise themselves to tackle biodiversity loss, and how these collectives interact with broader governance systems in the Netherlands.
Rooted in political ecology and environmental governance, I approach sustainability transitions as deeply political and knowledge-rich processes. My previous work touched on renewable energy conflicts, degrowth in agrifood systems, and water governance: all experiences that continue to shape how I think about power, justice, and transformation in socio-ecological landscapes.

I’m especially interested in how collective efforts unfold on the ground: what drives people to act, how they navigate institutional complexity, and what enables more just and lasting change. Through my PhD, I aim to contribute to both critical academic debates and grounded, actionable insights, supporting those working for more democratic and resilient approaches to biodiversity governance in a time of ecological emergency.