Maja Kirstine Dahl Jeppesen: Natural resources and rights for global health

Tell us about your research

I study the tension between formal rights structures and the actual social and political realities that shape resource access. I am an anthropologist and use an ethnographic approach to explore how marginalised communities access essential resources like land and water and looks at the practical realities behind central concepts in global health such as “human rights” or “inclusion,” especially in places where formal laws, informal systems, and climate pressures collide. My PhD research explored this through the case of water provision in Nairobi, Kenya. I am now part of the DANIDA-funded Himili Pamoja project where I study the gendered consequences of climate change adaptation in rural Tanzania.

Why is this research important?

Understanding the entanglements of natural resources and social and political structures is key to building more just and resilient systems. Access to resources like land and water underpins physical, mental, and social well-being and fundamentally determines how communities thrive or struggle.

As climate change intensifies pressure on natural resources and the systems managing them, existing power imbalances often worsen, with marginalised groups bearing the heaviest burdens.

In my PhD research I saw how the struggle for water in the slum of Nairobi intensified during droughts, through for example the government disconnecting illegal water connections and the informal water vendors hiking up the price of water. Women also tend to bear an unproportionate cost when the accessibility of natural resources changes, and this is what gives the Himili Pamoja project such relevance. 

What excites you about your work?

I am very interested in how we move from policy to practice when it comes to global development. For example, the sustainable development goals are being slapped on everything these days, but how they gain weight in real life and change societies for the better, is not always clear. I think this must start with understanding in depth how interventions like climate change adaptation, human rights policy etc. interact with social and political structures in each context. The ethnographic nature of my research allows me to explore and understand such dynamics in depth. I think it is both a super important and exciting topic to delve into. Another thing that excites me about my work is how I get to engage with people through fieldwork and teaching.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years

In ten years, I hope to see even more collaboration between development practice and global health research and practice as I think both fields have a lot to learn from each other. To be part of that movement, I'd love to lead research projects on planetary health that translate into tangible policy improvements collaborating with universities, government agencies, and NGOs in East Africa and beyond. I'm also dreaming of writing a book that uses water as a lens to understand the fluid relationship between natural resources and societal structures, drawing on my extensive PhD fieldwork.

What advice do you have for junior researchers in global health?

I’m also just figuring this out, but it seems more and more important to me that we connect with our peers. Academia is precarious and can be competitive, and this makes it even more central for us junior researchers to cheer each other on and support each other. I think academia offers incredible opportunities to learn and grow, especially if you find good people to navigate it with. I also think it is important that we remember to enjoy it in between numerous deadlines and demands. Being able to travel, go to conferences, dive into fieldwork and being guided by our interests and passion is a unique privilege that we should cherish.

What is your favourite source of global health inspiration and knowledge?

Is it too cliché for an anthropologist to say ‘people’? The individuals I've met throughout my fieldwork have profoundly transformed my perspectives on both research and life. I also draw a lot from friends. Especially those I studied my master’s in Global Development with, who now work across the globe in NGOs, ministries, and academia and give me new perspectives on development and global health.