Ronja Alexandra KrausPhD Student
About me
I am a PhD student researching human–wolf interactions from an interdisciplinary perspective within the field of geography. My work focuses on understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of wolf depredation incidents and identifying the ecological and socio-cultural drivers behind them. With a background in Physical Geography from Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, I was initially trained in the natural sciences. Over time, my growing interest in conservation challenges shaped my academic path and research focus.
I deepened my expertise in conservation topics during my Master’s studies at the University of Vienna (Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Management) and through additional coursework in wildlife ecology and management at BOKU Vienna. During this time, I also worked for WWF Austria, where I was responsible for collaring a Konik horse in a reserve and analyzing their GPS movement data. As part of the Namibian-German research project ORYCS, I investigated human–elephant conflicts for my master's thesis, where I discovered my passion for engaging with local communities and integrating their knowledge into conservation research. By conducting interviews and participatory mapping, I explored the complexity of conservation conflicts around large mammals in the African savannah ecosystem and performed a corridor analysis to assess landscape permeability for elephants.
In my PhD project, supervised by Anna Treydte and Erica von Essen, I aim to further develop my interdisciplinary skillset by integrating social and ecological data to better understand and address the multifaceted nature of human–wildlife interactions. I am particularly committed to approaches that involve local land users, recognizing their essential role in the success of conservation efforts.
Research
Publications
Luetkemeier, R., Bieri, M., Kraus, R., Mbidzo, M., Midgley, G. (2024): Lessons Learned from a North-South Science Partnership for Sustainable Development. In: von Maltitz, G.: Sustainability of southern African ecosys-tems under global change: Science for management and policy interventions. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_31
Hauptfleisch, M., Blaum, N., Liehr, S., Hering, R., Kraus, R., Tausendfruend, M., Cimenti, A., Lüdtke, D., Rauchecker, M., Uiseb, K. (2024): Trends and Barriers to Wildlife-Based Options for Sustainable Management of Savanna Resources: The Namibian Case. In: von Maltitz, G.: Sustainability of southern African ecosystems un-der global change: Science for management and policy interventions. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_18
Luetkemeier, R., Kraus, R., Mbidzo, M., Hauptfleisch, M., Blaum, N., Liehr, S. (2023): The role of wildlife in Namibia: Qualitative exploration of conflicts in human-wildlife interactions. In: Diversity. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030440
Research projects
Publications
A selection from Stockholm University publication database
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A Qualitative Exploration of Conflicts in Human-Wildlife Interactions in Namibia's Kunene Region
2023. Robert Luetkemeier (et al.). Diversity 15 (3)
ArticleRead more about A Qualitative Exploration of Conflicts in Human-Wildlife Interactions in Namibia's Kunene RegionWildlife numbers are declining globally due to anthropogenic pressures. In Namibia, however, wildlife populations increased with policy instruments that allow private ownership and incentivize their sustainable use. Antithetically, this resulted in increased resource competition between humans and wildlife and triggered conflicts among various stakeholder groups. This paper summarizes the results of a qualitative exploration of conflicts in wildlife management in Namibia’s Kunene Region, adjacent to Etosha National Park. We conducted a workshop and expert interviews with stakeholders from relevant sectors. Our qualitative research sheds light on societal conflicts over wildlife that originate from diverging interests, livelihood strategies, moral values, knowledge holders, personal relations and views on institutional procedures. We frame our insights into conflicting human–wildlife interactions with theoretical concepts of social-ecological systems, ecosystem services and ecosystem disservices and open the floor for quantitative assessments. Overall, our results may present a suitable way of understanding biodiversity conflicts in a theoretical way.
Show all publications by Ronja Alexandra Kraus at Stockholm University
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