About Seth's Work
Seth Cook obtained his Ph.D. in 2004 from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, focusing on social ecology and natural resource management. He is now China Program Coordinator for IUCN-World Conservation Union, based in Beijing, where he is responsible for the overall development of IUCN's work in China. Recent activities include serving as team leader for an Asian Development Bank sponsored project to provide technical assistance to the drafting of China's Protected Areas Law; coordinating civil society participation in ministerial meetings for the European and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENA-FLEG) process; and spearheading a China World Heritage Biodiversity Program designed to help improve the management of China's natural World Heritage sites. His dissertation fieldwork concerned a small-scale rainwater catchment and storage system currently being employed in northwest China to alleviate land degradation and meet the water needs of villagers in remote, impoverished areas. Prior to his doctoral studies, Seth served as a project manager for a Beijing-based environmental consulting firm, a consultant on China to the National Wildlife Federation and an urban forester with the Urban Resources Initiative in New Haven. He holds a B.A in Asian Studies from Amherst College and Master's degrees from Yale University in environmental studies and international relations.