Nelson Ekane

Nelson has been working at SEI since 2007 with sustainable sanitation systems, sanitation governance, and sustainable phosphorus management.

Nelson’s PhD thesis disentangles how sanitation and hygiene policies articulate at multiple levels of governance and eventually translate into investment and behaviour change at household and community levels.

Conceptually, Nelson’s research combines institutional theory and policy and implementation analysis within a multi-level governance framework, with empirical investigation of what actually motivates hygiene behaviour change at household and community levels. His PhD research was funded by The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) 2013-6364.

Nelson also researches on risk governance which encompasses risk perception, risk management and risk communication. He draws on research methods from psychology to explore mechanisms underlying human perceptions and judgment of practices and technologies involving specifically the use of treated and untreated excreta as fertilizer in agriculture. This work is done in collaboration with Decision Research (DR) in Eugene, Oregon, USA.

Sustainable global phosphorus governance is another research interest. Nelson is exploring governance opportunities including the realms of mining, agriculture and waste management, the parameters worth monitoring and regulating, the stakeholders involved and the associated objectives of the resulting improved governance. The aim is to provide some suggestions for policy priorities and a staged process of steps to achieve progress in sustainable global phosphorus governance. This work is done in collaboration with colleagues at SEI in Stockholm.

Nelson has an academic background in Environmental Science and Botany, University of Buea, Cameroon; Regional Planning, and Project Management and Operational Development, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. Nelson’s PhD is in Planning and Decision Analysis from KTH.