Rik Thwaites

Biography

I believe that I bring a diverse range of interests and experiences to my teaching and research at Charles Sturt University. My major interests are in sustainable development, and the social dimensions of the nexus between conservation (including protected areas), communities (including Indigenous communities) and local livelihoods including tourism. Having trained as a geologist, I worked for some years as a glaciologist with Australian Antarctic Division, and later as a freelance photographer and photojournalist, and environmental consultant. I came to Charles Sturt University for PhD studies in the social sciences, in which I looked at the application of the Biosphere Reserve concept to a large area of grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China, and the factors influencing the sustainability of use of those grasslands.

Research Interest

Ecotourism