Adjunct Professor Julian Prior

Biography

I have 40 years experience in natural resource management, land use and sustainable agriculture within Australia, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, including several years managing an erosion control and rangeland management project in northern Somalia. I have acted as an advisor to the governments of Australia, NSW, South Africa, Eritrea, PNG, Myanmar, Solomon Islands, and Fiji.

My areas of expertise are: natural resource policy, community development and community-based natural resource management, pastoral development, sustainable agriculture, catchment/watershed management, soil and water conservation, land and water policy, and sustainable livelihoods approaches. My interests include climate change policy and community adaptation to climate change.

My experience in research-extension-development includes: agricultural extension and scaling out of innovations; livelihood strategies in resource-poor farmers; social capital building in farmer groups for connection to markets and climate adaptation; community-based natural resource management; institutional analysis and capacity development; program and project design and evaluation and team leadership.

I was formerly the Associate Dean, International, within the Faculty of Science, Agriculture Business and Law, responsible for international engagement, at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia.

I am an experienced practitioner, trainer and researcher, in conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation and consensus building in conflict situations.
I have been employed by AusAID (DFAT), ACIAR, IFAD, UNDP, ICARDA, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), EU, the German agency SPC/GIZ, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, OXFAM UK, and World Vision Australia. I have been engaged as team leader on many occasions in both my international and Australian consultancy work. I have worked in over 25 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.