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Marais-Potgieter, Andrea

  • University of the Witwatersrand
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
  • Applied Ecopsychology Practitioner, International Ecopsychology Society

Dr. Andrea Marais-Potgieter is a Conservation Psychologist with 20 years of experience conducting qualitative psychological research across 17 African countries. Her PhD research used mixed methods and Grounded Theory to explore individuals’ relationships with nature from a systems perspective, considering factors such as values, worldviews, and environmental attitudes. Her work addresses climate risk perception, community-driven conservation, ecopsychology, and the psychological dimensions of climate adaptation.

Section titled “Core work interests related to Solving FCB”

Climate change risk perception; adaptive capacity; psychological systems and the human-nature nexus; qualitative futures and ecopsychology

Mortality salience
Community-driven conservation
Trans-species accompaniment
Human deprivileging
Nature Futures Framework

Leads the qualitative futures component; designs tools and facilitates workshops applying the Nature Futures Framework across case studies

Core publications

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