Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development

University degrees

  • B.Sc., University of York, United Kingdom, 1996
  • M.Sc., University of Göttingen, Germany, 2001



Studies

  • 1993-1996: University of York, United Kingdom, Environmental Economics and Environmental Management
  • 1999-2001: Georg-August University Goettingen, Germany, International and Tropical Agriculture, specialisation in Socio-Economics of Rural Development



Work Experience

  • 2002-2004, Environmental Economist, CIPMA-Worldbank/GEF Project, German Development Service (DED),Valdivia, Chile
  • 1999: Environmental Economist, Conservation Development Company in Nairobi, Kenya.
  • 1998-1999: Technical Advisor, Frankfurt Zoological Society - Tanzania Wildlife Conservation Monitoring Project, Arusha, Tanzania
  • 1997: Environmental Consultant, Atlantic Consulting, London, UK



Topic of dissertation
Carbon Finance - Payment possibilities for environmental services of agricultural and forest ecosystems in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Background
Deforestation is causing up to 25 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and Indonesia is the third largest greenhouse gas emitter worldwide due to land use change and deforestation. On the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, the forest margin of the Lore Lindu National Park has been facing encroachment and consequently deforestation. The main cause is rapid agricultural expansion in the uplands that has taken place during the last twenty years, specifically cocoa plantations.

Objectives
The objective of the present research is to assess the impact of payments obtained from carbon sequestration for two forest management options:
- the cocoa agroforestry systems,
- as well as deforestation avoidance,
and to analyse the necessary enabling conditions and institutional setting for an active involvement of local stakeholders for carbon sequestration activities.


Field research
The field research takes place in villages in the surroundings of the Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Methodology:

  • Quantitative interviews in 6 villages with respect to current land-use management systems & qualitative interviews assessing the perception of environmental services of the National Park and forest.
  • 4 case studies: focus group discussions at village level using PRA methods to assess the Community Conservation Agreements and their institutional setting
  • Analysis of household behaviour and their resource allocation with a linear programming model, based on empirical household data.
  • Analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus groups using content analysis (Mayring 2007)



Disciplinary orientation

  • Natural resource and socio-economics
  • Payments for Environmental Services, specifically Carbon Finance
  • Climate change politics, CDM mechanism and bioenergy



Project leader
Stefan Schwarze
SFB 552 – Stability of Rainforest Margins in Indonesia - STORMA

Funding institutions
DFG
University of Göttingen


Timetable: May 2005 - September 2008
Begin: August 2005
Completed: September 2008


Publications

  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, C., Schwarze, S., and M. Zeller. 2008. Payments for Environmental Services -- Incentives through Carbon Sequestration Compensation for Cocoa-based Agroforestry Systems in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. 2008. Research in Development Economics and Policy. Discussion Paper No. 02/2008, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, C., Schwarze, S., and M. Zeller. 2008. Carbon Finance - Impacts of Environmental Service Payments on Households in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. STORMA Discussion Paper Series No. 25. May 2008. Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Göttingen
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, C. 2004,: Production Systems and Livelihood Strategies in Southern Bolivia; in “Poverty Impacts and Policy Options of Non-Farm Rural Employment”, Buchenrieder et al, Margraf Publishers.
  • Sepúlveda, C., A. Tacón, E. Letelier y C. Seeberg; June 2003, “Recomendaciones de CIPMA: Discusión sobre el Reglamento para Áreas Protegidas Privadas”. Ambiente y Desarrollo, Vol. XIX, N°2, Santiago, Chile.
  • Sepúlveda, C., E. Letelier y C. Seeberg Sept. 2003, “Incentivos apropiados para Áreas Protegidas Privadas: el enfoque y la experiencia del Proyecto CIPMA-FMAM”, Work Document 58, CIPMA, Valdivia, Chile.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, C. 2001, Production Systems and Livelihood Strategies in Southern Bolivia, Discussion Paper No. 35, Institut der ruralen Entwicklung, Universität Göttingen, Göttingen.



Presentations

  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, C., Schwarze, S., Zeller, M. 2008. Could carbon payments be a solution to deforestation? Empirical evidence from Indonesia. Contributed paper presented at the European Association of Agricultural Economists, Gent, 26-29.08.08
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina, Schwarze, Stefan, Zeller, Manfred. 2008. Could Carbon Payments Be a Solution to Deforestation in Central Sulawesi? Contributed paper presented at the International Symposium of the SFB 564 “Interdependencies between upland and lowland agriculture and resource management”. Hohenheim, 1.-4. April 2008.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina. 2008. Community Conservation Agreements, an evaluation of their impact on natural resource management processes. Presentation given at a workshop with National Park administration, NGOs, and other institutions, Palu, 13.03.08.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina. 2008. Community Conservation Agreements, an evaluation of their impact on natural resource management processes. Presentation given at village meetings in Langko (27.2.08), Kapiroe (28.2.08), Wuasa (3.3.08)
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina. 2008. Could payments for carbon sequestration services be a solution to stop the deforestation of the Lore Lindu National Park in Indonesia? Presentation at STORMA stakeholder workshop, Jakarta, 20.-21.2. 2008.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina. 2008. Institutions and payments for carbon sequestration services - solutions to stop deforestation of the Lore Lindu National Park in Indonesia? Presentation at UNTAD workshop, 16.2.08, Palu.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina. 2008. Carbon Finance – Payments for environmental services of agricultural and forest ecosystems in Central Sulawesi. Presentation at STORMA Workshop, 10.-11.1. 2008, Mariaspring.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina, Schwarze, Stefan, Zeller, Manfred. 2007. Payments for Carbon Sequestration Services - a Solution to Stop the Deforestation of the Lore Lindu National Park in Indonesia? Contributed Paper presented at Deutscher Tropentag 2007, Witzenhausen, Germany, October 9-11, 2007.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina and Zeller, Manfred. 2007. Could the sales of carbon sequestration services be a solution to tropical deforestation? A case study of the Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Contributed paper presented at the 7th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics “Integrating Natural and Social Sciences for Sustainability”. Leipzig, 5.-8. June 2007.
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina. 2006, Presentation at LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Scienes), “Carbon Finance as an example of payments for environmental services”, Jakarta, Indonesia, March 2007
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina. 2006. 13th PhD workshop on International Climate Policy, “Do carbon credits provide an incentive for forest conservation?”, Leeds, UK. October 2006
  • Seeberg-Elverfeldt, Christina., 2005. “Carbon Finance – payment possibilities for agricultural and forest ecosystems in Central Sulawesi”, University of Hohenheim. November 2005



Teaching activities

  • SS 2008: Seminar “Technology and Innovations in Agriculture” (Tutor)
  • SS 2007: SPSS course for module “Quantitative research methods in Development Economics” (Lecturer)
  • SS 2007: Module „Quantitative research methods in Development Economics” (Lecturer and Tutor, together with Dr. Schwarze)
  • WS 2006/07: “Microeconomic Theory and Planning Methods in Developing Countries” (Lecturer and Tutor, together with Dr. Schwarze)
  • WS 2005/06: “Microeconomic Theory and Planning Methods in Developing Countries” (Tutor)