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I am Girma Defere.  I received my BA degree in Political Science and International Relations, Master of Art in rural development, Master of Science in Public Management. Currently I am affiliated to the department of Governance and Development Studies at Jimma University, Ethiopia.  Currently, I am  affiliated to the department of Governance and Development Studies at Jimma University, serving as Assistant Professor and a Bucerius PhD Fellow/beyond borders.  Some of my publications include: democratic developmental state, pastoral mobility, pastoral land rights, environmental resource governance in the borderlands, rangeland degradation,  ombudsman institution, federalism, democratic developmentalism and citizenship education, and globalization.

My current research focuses on Pastoral Population Mobility and Environmental Resource Governance and Sustianability in the Ethiopia-Kenya border. The international border making or colonial border making in Ethio-Kenya has not considered ethnicity, land use, and topography. Whereas most of the previous studies mainly focused on conflict and peace, this project examines the effects of cross-border population mobility on environmental resource governance and sustainability. In this regard, this study deals with the following questions: How far the international boundary demarcation has influenced the cross-border pastoral mobility and resource governance? Which attitude do the cross-border pastoral communities have towards environment and environmental sustainability? How do they perceive cross-border mobility, cross-border environmental use, and institutions to govern environmental resources? The study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods and involves surveys, key informants’ interviews, focus group discussions and field observations.