Associate Professor Alexander (Sandy) Paterson
Designation: Institute of Marine & Environmental Law, Professor of Environmental Law
Expertise: biodiversity, protected areas and incentive based environmental regulation
Biography
Alexander Paterson, BSocSci LLB LLM (Environmental Law) PhD (University of Cape Town), Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, joined the Institute of Marine and Environmental Law based in the Law Faculty in 2004. Prior to this, he practiced as an environmental law and legal consultant for several years. Currently a Professor of Law, he convenes the Law Faculty’s specialised postgraduate programmes on Marine and Environmental Law. His specific areas of interest and research include biodiversity, land use planning, protected areas and community-based natural resource management.
Climate change and Development link:
His research interests intersect with climate change in two main respects. Firstly, he seeks to explore different legal models for promoting effective and equitable adaptation measures to climate change, particularly focussing on expanding the protected areas estate, developing climate-resilient networks of protected areas through complementary land use planning mechanisms and promoting greater ecological connectivity and landscape approaches – all aimed at assisting the migration, maintenance and enhancement of ecosystem service delivery to support local communities. Secondly, through his research on ICCAs, he seeks to understand and promote greater legal recognition of the key role indigenous peoples and local communities play as resilient ecosystem stewards.
Assoc. Professor Paterson’s full bio and Cv here: http://www.imel.uct.ac.za/imel/staff
Tel: +27 (0)21 650 5644