At the forefront of forestry education and sustainable development in the Pacific is Dr Shipra Shah, Associate Professor at the College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry of Fiji National University (FNU), whose work is helping communities rethink the value of forests beyond timber. 

For the past 12 years, Dr Shah has dedicated her career to teaching, research, and community engagement in forestry and environmental sustainability. Her work spans non-timber forest products, climate change, environmental forestry, and sustainable forestry; all areas she believes are critical to the future of Pacific communities. 

“Teaching is a powerful tool that can transform mindsets,” she says. “When students combine learning with research, they begin to find sustainable solutions to the environmental challenges surrounding us today.” 

Alongside teaching, Dr Shah’s research focuses on agroforestry, ethnobotany, and the validation of non-timber forest products as sustainable income sources for rural communities. Her work explores how communities value and uses plants, while also identifying ways these resources can support livelihoods without harming the environment. 

Unlocking the Potential of Bamboo 

One area that has increasingly captured Dr Shah’s attention is bamboo, a resource she believes holds enormous, untapped potential across the Pacific. 

“Bamboo is a very important non-timber forest product,” she explains. “There is a lot of it across Fiji, but it remains highly underutilised.” 

Through her involvement in the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Fiji Bamboo for Adaptation and Mitigation Project via Pacific Ark, Dr Shah has contributed to bamboo value chain assessments, sustainability guidelines, and the development of harvesting guidelines for bamboo in Fiji. Her work aims to ensure communities can benefit economically from bamboo while protecting the resources from overexploitation. 

“As soon as resources become valuable, there is always the potential for overharvesting,” she says. “That’s why sustainable harvesting guidelines are so important.” 

According to Dr Shah, bamboo has significant potential to reduce pressure on native forests by serving as an alternative to timber, particularly within the construction sector. 

“Fast-growing plants like bamboo can substitute timber, especially for construction,” she says. “Studies have also shown that bamboo can improve cyclone resilience in buildings, which is extremely important for climate-vulnerable Pacific countries.” 

Beyond construction, bamboo also presents opportunities for food products, handicrafts, livestock feed, and small business development for rural communities. 

Bridging Conservation and Livelihoods 

Dr Shah’s work strongly connects environmental conservation with community livelihoods. Through her research in ethnobotany and agroforestry, she examines how traditional knowledge and sustainable resource use can support both people and ecosystems. 

Her research also explores initiatives such as REDD+ and payment for ecosystem services, which encourage conservation while providing economic incentives for communities. 

“It’s not just about earning a livelihood,” she says. “It’s also about conserving the environment and ensuring resources remain available for future generations.” 

Women in Forestry: Breaking Barriers 

Forestry has traditionally been viewed as a male-dominated field, but Dr Shah says this is slowly beginning to change. 

Today, more women are entering forestry and environmental programmes across the Pacific. However, many still face challenges finding employment after graduation due to longstanding stereotypes around forestry work. 

“Fields like forestry are often seen as more suitable for men because of the physical work involved,” she explains. “But women already play a major role in non-timber forest products within communities.” 

Dr Shah believes women are central to the sustainable use and value-adding of forest resources, particularly at the community level where many are already involved in harvesting, processing, and selling non-timber forest products. 

She encourages young women interested in science, forestry, and environmental work to pursue higher education while remaining connected to the knowledge and practices within their communities. 

“If women are given opportunities for education, they can use the values and knowledge from their communities to build meaningful careers while also contributing to environmental conservation,” she says. 

The Power of Partnerships 

For Dr Shah, one of the strongest aspects of the Fiji Bamboo Project has been the collaboration between government, academia, development organisations, and communities. 

“It has brought people together,” she says. “No one organisation or community can do this alone.” 

She believes partnerships are essential when working with a resource as versatile as bamboo, which spans construction, handicrafts, food security, livestock, conservation, and livelihoods. 

“These partnerships create opportunities to learn from each other, combine skills and resources, and ensure more sustainable outcomes for the future.” 

Through her teaching, research, and advocacy, Dr Shipra Shah continues to inspire the next generation of forestry professionals while helping communities across the Pacific recognize the importance of sustainable forestry, conservation, and the transformative potential of bamboo. 

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GGGI Pacific

Kelly Vacala, Regional Communications & Knowledge Sharing Lead| Kelly.Vacala@gggi.org