Maria’s research is developed through two streams. Firstly, she is interested in conflict and collaboration patterns in environmental governance, and what that means for participatory processes. She focuses in particular on public officers and their links across administrative levels. Secondly, she develops theoretical perspectives on the so-called process-relational approaches to sustainability sciences which insist on the role of ever changing relations in crafting emergent social-ecological dynamics. She uses a broad range of methods including network analysis, semi-structured interviews and arts-based methods. She has worked in different cases and geographical areas including Latin America, Europe and East Africa.

Conflict and collaboration in environmental governance
Process-relational perspectives
Water governance
Inclusion and exclusion mechanisms in participatory governance