The Socioeconomics of Biodiversity and Land Use Policies
Kevin Lin Yang is a master’s student in MIT’s Technology and Policy Program, focusing on energy and environment. He currently works in biodiversity policy research with Dr. Adam Schlosser in the MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy (CS3) and is an National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program (NSF GRFP) fellow. Kevin has a strong background in both environmental physical research and data-driven techniques such as remote sensing, geospatial data processing, and socioeconomic modeling. Additionally, he has completed internships working with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and AMGEN on biodiversity conservation policy and sustainability. Prior MIT, Kevin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from UCLA. Beyond academics, he is interested in bringing equality to access in education, information democracy, and advocating for environmental and biodiversity policies that bring a stop to major ecosystem degradation. He also brings a fresh perspective to policymaking and engineering as a Chilean Taiwanese who grew up in Latin America.
What is the focus of your research? What sort of knowledge and disciplines does it bring together? How will it make an impact?
My research focuses on evaluating the various socioeconomic stressors related to biodiversity loss and policies. Ambitious international frameworks, such as the 30×30 goal, seek to protect 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland waters, and marine areas by 2030 for biodiversity. By combining tools such as economic and earth system models with various databases, our team focuses on the socioeconomic impacts of these biodiversity policies, including food prices, agriculture, land use, and economic indicators. Coupling system models with these datasets enables us to assess the feasibility of current biodiversity policies, as well as their compatibility with existing climate policy goals, and vice versa.
Last summer you interned with World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Who did you work with, and what did you do?
I interned with the WWF, an international non-governmental organization focused on wildlife conservation and reducing human impact on the environment. I worked with Katie Zdilla as a Global PADDD (Protected Area Downgrading, Downsizing, and Degazettement) Intern under the Earth for Life team. I researched legal PADDD and the socioeconomic causes associated with such events.
How does the internship connect to your current research and future plans?
The internship connected to my research in several ways. Biodiversity loss is primarily driven by land use changes related to human activity. By working with WWF, I analyzed the socioeconomic causes that lead to such land use changes at the site level. Simultaneously, I integrated the land use change data collected during my internship into the models used in my research to assess the financial and socioeconomic impacts of PADDD events. This addition strengthens our understanding and rhetoric for the continued legal protection of areas crucial for biodiversity conservation. I am currently exploring ways to further collaborate between my WWF internship and the MIT CS3 research project.
