Dr Walters Nsoh

Dr Walters Nsoh

Birmingham Law School
Lecturer in Law
Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research (Admissions and Funding)

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 3106
Fax
+44 (0)121 414 3106
Email
w.nsoh@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Birmingham Law School
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Walters Nsoh is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Birmingham. His research relates primarily to the intersection between property (land) law and environmental law, the legal and policy challenges to nature conservation and the sustainable management of natural resources. His book The Privatisation of Biodiversity? - New Approaches to Conservation Law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2016) explores the use of innovative market-based approaches such as biodiversity offsetting, payment for ecosystem services and conservation covenants in nature conservation. He has published in academic and practitioner sources and has provided written evidence to policy consultations, including contributions to the Law Commission’s report on Conservation Covenants published in June 2014.

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching (Higher Education) (Anglia Ruskin University)
  • PhD Law (University of Surrey)
  • LLM Environmental Law & Policy (Distinction) (University of Kent)
  • BSc Environmental Science (University of Buea, Cameroon)

Biography

Dr Walters Nsoh joined Birmingham Law School in September 2015. Previously, he was a Lecturer in Law at Anglia Ruskin University and a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the University of Dundee. During his doctoral studies, he was also an Associate Lecturer at the University of Surrey and taught property law. He has been a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2015.

Dr Nsoh holds a PhD in Law from the University of Surrey and an LLM (with Distinction) in Environmental Law and Policy from the University of Kent. He is a former Commonwealth Scholar (2005-2006) and plays an active part in the environmental law community, including roles as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy.

Teaching

  • Land Law (LLB)
  • Environmental Law (LLB)
  • Environmental Energy Law (LLM)

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Nsoh is happy to supervise postgraduate research students with well-written research proposals within the following broad areas:

  • Environmental Law
  • Regulation and Governance of Natural Resources
  • Land and Resource Tenure Rights
  • Climate Change Law and Sustainable Livelihoods

Current PhD students:

  • Bridget Anthonio-Apedzi, ‘Environmental Impact Assessment: Towards the Concept of Sustainable Development’
  • Synda Obaji, ‘Access to Justice in Environmental Cases in Nigeria’
  • Jeffery Ray, ‘Offshore Energy: A Comparative Analysis of Fossil Fuel Dominance and a Prospectus for Sustainable Energy in the US and UK’
  • Naomi Luhde-Thompson, ‘The Governance of Unconventional Fossil Fuels in Relation to Sustainability’
  • Eric Ngang, ‘Climate Change and Sustainable Livelihoods: Agrarian Community Responses and their Role in Formal Law and Decision-Making in Kenya
  • Menes Muzan, ‘A Critical Analysis Of Differential Treatment Under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Nigeria’
  • Ryan Dean, ‘Shale Gas Regulation in the UK’

Find out more - our PhD Law  page has information about doctoral research at the University of Birmingham.

Research

Dr Nsoh’s research and teaching interests relate primarily to the intersection between land and environmental law, and the legal and policy challenges to nature conservation and the sustainable management of natural resources in developed and developing countries. His current research focuses on the use of innovative approaches such as conservation covenants, payment for ecosystem services and biodiversity offsets in biodiversity conservation. Other current research interests include communities’ perception of the idea of property rights in relation to ecosystem services particularly from an indigenous rights perspective.

Other activities

  • Member of the Development Team of the Natural Assets Knowledge-Action Network of Future Earth (2017-2019)
  • Associate Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy (2014 – present)
  • Senior Fellow - Food and Agricultural Law with the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (OGEES Institute), Nigeria (2014 - present)
  • Panel Member of the Vitae HR Excellence in Research Award (2014-2015)

Publications

Books

Journal Articles (refereed)

  • W Nsoh and CT Reid, ‘Privatisation of Biodiversity: Who can sell ecosystem services?’ (2013) 25 Environmental Law & Management 12-20.
  • W Nsoh, ‘Ecosystem Services: a Possible New Approach in the Valuation of Compensation for Land Expropriation in Cameroon,’ (2013) 4 IUCNAEL EJournal 17-34.

Chapters in Edited Books (refereed)

  • W Nsoh, ‘The Legal Status of Customary Land Tenure Systems and the Protection of Communal Property in Cameroon’ in T Xu and A Clarke (eds), Legal Strategies for the Development and Protection of Communal Property (Proceedings of the British Academy - Oxford University Press 2018)
  • W Nsoh, ‘Customary Land Rights, Indigenous Rights and Land Expropriation in Cameroon: Ecosystem Services as a Possible New Approach in Valuing Compensation’ in T Xu and J Allain (ed), Property and Human Rights in a Global Context (Hart Publishing, 2015).
  • W Nsoh, ‘Critical Linkages between Forest Ownership and Unsustainable Forest Exploitation in Cameroon’ in RT Ako and DS Olawuyi (ed), Food and Agricultural Law: Readings on Sustainable Agriculture and the Law in Nigeria (Afe Babalola University Press 2015).

Academic and Practitioner Journal Articles (Not refereed)

  • CT Reid and W Nsoh, ‘The Privatisation of Biodiversity? New Approaches to Nature Conservation Law’ (2014) Issue 84 UKELA e-law 16-21.
  • CT Reid and W Nsoh, ‘The Privatisation of Biodiversity?’ (Summer 2014) Chartered Forester – Member Magazine for the Institute of Charter Foresters 26-27.
  • CT Reid and W Nsoh, ‘Project Summary: The Privatisation of Biodiversity? New Approaches to Nature Conservation Law’ (2014) 22 Environmental Liability: Law, Policy and Practice 203-206.
  • CT Reid and W Nsoh, ‘Biodiversity Offsetting and Conservation Covenants’ (2013) 25 Environmental Law & Management 93-96.

Reports and Working Papers

  • W.Nsoh, ‘Achieving Groundwater Governance: The Ecosystem Approach and the Role of Market-Based Instruments’ in F Sindico and A Manganelli (eds), Groundwater Governance: Drawing Connections between Science, Knowledge and Policy-Making (SCELG Working Paper No.4, University of Strathclyde Law School, 2016)
  • CT Reid and W Nsoh, The Privatisation of Biodiversity? New Approaches to Nature Conservation Law (Summary report of an AHRC-funded project examining the legal issues concerning potential new legal mechanisms for the conservation of biodiversity, prepared for policy makers, April 2014, School of Law, University of Dundee).
  • W Nsoh and F Sindico, From Production to Consumption: Legal and Policy Challenges to a New Approach to Climate Change Workshop Report, 30 May 2008 (University of Surrey, Surrey Law Working Paper 03/2009).

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

  • Biodiversity and nature conservation law
  • The use of innovative approaches such as payment for ecosystem services, biodiversity offsetting/habitat banking, and conservation covenants in biodiversity conservation law
  • Property (land) rights, land use, land and resources tenure, and sustainable livelihoods
  • Sustainable management of natural resources, especially in Africa
  • Forest ownership and sustainability in Cameroon
  • Climate change law and policy
  • Governance of ecosystem services
  • Indigenous rights and natural resources exploitation in Cameroon and Africa