Josheena Naggea
Dr Josheena Naggea is a passionate environmentalist currently pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship as an André Hoffmann Fellow at the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and the World Economic Forum Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Born and raised in Mauritius, Dr Naggea grew up appreciating the ocean and community of the island nation, an influence that led her to complete a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management, with an Honours Degree in Tropical Biology from Monash University Malaysia in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
During her time at Monash, Dr Naggea had the opportunity to undertake multiple fieldwork opportunities in Southeast Asia from Taman Negara to Gunung Mulu as part of her ecology classes. These learning experiences have been inspiring and added an experiential dimension to her journey in pursuing conservation as a life-long passion and career.
Dr Naggea’s love of the ocean has stayed with her throughout, leading her from Monash University to the completion of a Doctor of Philosophy in Environment and Resources, specialising in Marine Governance for Small Island States from Stanford University this year. A key aspect of her research assessed the compounding impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and an oil spill disaster on coastal communities in Mauritius, highlighting the specific hardships that such vulnerable groups face, which was also shared with key stakeholders through a publicly accessible report.
Today, her work focuses on centering blue justice and equity for ocean innovations in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture. Her prior community-engaged research focused on disaster impacts and recovery, climate change adaptation, and the valorisation of natural and cultural heritage in ocean governance. She has a keen interest in understanding people-ocean connections and how that influences pro-ecological behaviour, local environmental stewardship, and food security.
Back in Mauritius, Dr Naggea had the opportunity to manage a marine conservation NGO, where she worked around several marine protected areas, and spearheaded several community-engaged conservation initiatives. Her early work with the NGO partially inspired the decision to undertake her doctoral research, and has since shaped her career trajectory. During the time, Ms Naggea was involved with a number of initiatives including a National Sea Turtle Conservation Project, national awareness campaigns for sustainable fisheries, lagoon monitoring initiatives and marine eco-guide training programmes.
Having had the privilege of picking up where she left off following the completion of her doctorate, Dr Naggea is presently a national steering committee member of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Mauritius, where she continues to support community-led efforts for sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and poverty alleviation.
As an African national from a small island nation with an undying love for the ocean, Dr Naggea is deeply committed to playing her part in making necessary changes to conserve the environment, help fight climate change, and support communities whose livelihoods depend on natural resources. She is confident in making full use of her cumulative experience throughout the past years to continue supporting grassroots initiatives and mentor the next generation of students interested in conservation initiatives and environmental governance, especially in the Global South.