Hanna Ekström Pigot

I am a postdoctoral researcher on the ‘Restoration futures: Pathways forward with the European Union Nature Restoration Law’ project, where we are investigating how forest restoration can be grounded in local needs, values and ambitions.

My research interests broadly centre on environmental governance, how societies relate to natural resources, and the relationship between urban and rural areas. Previous projects have focused on water access for farmers in Nepal, land stability in Uganda, environmental conflict in relation to Chile’s forestry industry, and resistance movements concerning mining in Sápmi and Ecuador.

In my PhD project, I investigated private forest owners’ relationship with the forest and the possible implications this has for forest management. The project was interdisciplinary and was carried out at the Department of Political Science and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Lund University.

I have taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses on natural resources, political governance, land use, urban and regional planning, and sustainable development at the Department of Political Science and the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC) at Lund University.

PhD thesis: 

Diverse People, Diverse Forests? The role of social-ecological interactions in biodiversity governance

Peer-reviewed articles: 

Ekström Pigot, H. (2026). Now forests are of value – A historical political ecology from southern Sweden. Forest policy and Economics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2026.103778

Sánchez-García, P. A., Jónás, K., Pellowe, K. E., Ekström, H., Scheuermann, M., & Loft, L. (2025). Toward an intersectional equity approach in social–ecological transformations. Global Sustainability, 8, e2. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2025.2

Droste, N., Brownell, H., D'amato, D., Ekström, H., Fridén, A., Harrinkari, T.,Iliev, B., May, W., Nebasifu, A., & Thomsen, M. (2025). Evaluating transformative policies in complex land-use systems. Ecological Economics, 238, 108734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108734

Nebasifu, A. A., D'Amato, D., Ekström, H., Pietarinen, N., Fridén, A., Harrinkari, T., Iliev,B., Brownell, H., May, W., Brockhaus, M., Thomsen, M., & Droste, N. (2025). Comparing Nordic forest governance: Key informant perspectives. Forest Policy and Economics, 170, 103368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103368

Nebasifu, A., Ekström, H., Iliev, B., Pihlainen, S., Linser, S., Polo‐Villanueva, F. D., Viljanen,A., Charlier,M., Rauhanur Rahman, Md., Kuhlman., J, Assmuth,A., Garfield,D., D’Amato, D., & Droste, N. (2025). Avoiding Nightmare Forests: Insights From a Co‐Creative Workshop. Futures & Foresight Science, 7(2), e70010. https://doi.org/10.1002/ffo2.70010

Fridén, A., D'Amato, D., Ekström, H., Iliev, B., Nebasifu, A., May, W.,Thomsen,M., & Droste, N. (2024). Mapping two centuries of forest governance in Nordic countries: An open access database. Forest Policy and Economics, 160, 103142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2023.103142

Nebasifu, A. A., Pietarinen, N., Fridén, A., Ekström, H., Harrinkari, T., D'Amato, D., & Droste, N. (2024). Forest policy in Nordic countries: Expert opinions on future needs, uncertainties, and recommendations. Trees, forests and people, 16, 100582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2024.100582

Nebasifu, A., Fridén, A., Ekström, H., Pietarinen, N., Harrinkari, T., D’Amato, D., & Droste, N. (2024). An outlook on modalities in Nordic forest governance. Forests Monitor, 1(1), 16-38. https://doi.org/10.62320/fm.v1.i1.7

Popular Science:

https://www.papperochmassa.se/20260703/6317/omsorg-om-skogen-framjar-inte-alltid-biologisk-mangfald

https://www.natursidan.se/nyheter/frivilligt-skydd-missar-vardefulla-skogar/

https://www.lu.se/artikel/omsorg-om-skogen-ger-inte-alltid-hogre-biologisk-mangfald