Pranay Ranjan

About

Dr. Pranay Ranjan is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy in the School of Earth and Sustainability at Northern Arizona University, where he has been a faculty member since fall 2022. He is an environmental social scientist with interdisciplinary training in institutional analysis, collective action, water governance, and environmental policy.

Research Interests

Water Governance and Policy

• Comparative studies of water governance
• Institutional mechanisms for water resource management
• Water policy implementation and effectiveness
• Agricultural water governance
• Collective action in water governance contexts

Agricultural Conservation and Sustainability

• Barriers and motivations for adoption of conservation practices by farmers
• Sustainable soil and water conservation practices
• Decision-support tools for conservation planning
• Agricultural drainage management systems
• Land tenure and conservation on rented farmlands

Environmental Social Science

• Institutional analysis of environmental policies
• Conservation behavior and decision-making
• Climate change adaptation strategies
• Environmental and natural resource management
• Action research for policy and practice

Collective Action and Institutions

• Design of collective action institutions
• Group dynamics and institutional mechanisms
• Natural resource management in peri-urban interfaces
• Collaborative governance approaches
• Community-based environmental management

Education

• Ph.D. Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University
  • Advisor: Dr. Tomas Koontz
• M.S. Environmental Studies, TERI University, India
• B.S. Applied Life Sciences, University of Delhi, India

Professional Experience

Academic Positions

• Assistant Professor, Northern Arizona University (Fall 2022-present)
• Lead Research Scientist, Purdue University
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Purdue University
• Visiting Researcher, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Graduate Research Associate, The Ohio State University
• Research Associate,SaciWATERs (South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies), India

Research Affiliations

• Affiliated Researcher, Resilient Conservation

Research Impact

Dr. Ranjan has made significant contributions to the fields of environmental social sciences and agricultural conservation with over 2,100 citations of his research across 35+ publications. His work bridges theory and practice in environmental policy and governance.

Major Publications

Recent Publications (2024-2025)

• COP30 must deliver binding mechanisms to address climate change, not empty promises" (2025)

  • Co-authored with Stephannie Fernandes
  • Published in Nature

• “Belling the cat: Designing collective action institutions for natural resource management in the peri-urban interface” (2024)

  • Co-authored with Vishal Narain
  • Published in Urban Studies
  • Analysis of environmental governance challenges

• “Mobile apps for 30×30 equity” (2024)

  • Published in Nature Sustainability
  • Biodiversity conservation and global framework analysis

• “Exploring the role of ‘intermediaries’ between non-operating landowners and tenant farmers in promoting conservation on rented farmland” (2024)

  • Focus on non-operating landowners, tenant farmers, and intermediaries
  • Agricultural conservation policy applications

Foundational Publications

• “Synthesizing conservation motivations and barriers: What have we learned from qualitative studies of farmers’ behaviors in the United States?” (2019)

  • Published in Society and Natural Resources
  • Lead-authored systematic review of conservation literature
  • Synthesis of qualitative findings on farmers’ conservation behaviors across 35 years
  • Highly cited systematic review

• “Adoption of agricultural conservation practices in the United States: Evidence from 35 years of quantitative literature” (2019)

  • Published in Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
  • Meta-analysis of conservation adoption studies from 1982-2017
  • Highly cited systematic review

• “Understanding Barriers and Opportunities for Adoption of Conservation Practices on rented farmland in the US” (2019)

  • Published in Land Use Policy
  • Comprehensive review of conservation practice barriers
  • Policy implications for agricultural sustainability

• “Adaptive institutions in social-ecological systems governance: A synthesis framework” (2015)

  • Published in Environmental Science & Policy
  • A synthesis framework on adaptive institutions
  • Highly cited conceptual paper

• “Comparative studies of water governance: a systematic review” (2018)

  • Published in Ecology and Society
  • Comprehensive analysis of water governance literature
  • Highly cited systematic review

• “Lessons learned from using a decision-support tool for precision placement of conservation practices in six agricultural watersheds in the US midwest” (2019)

  • Published in Journal of Environmental Management
  • Practical applications of conservation planning tools

Research Methodology

Dr. Ranjan employs diverse methodological approaches including:

• Systematic reviews and meta-analysis
• Semi-structured interviews and focus groups
• Comparative case study analysis
• Action research and participatory methods
• Surveys
• Field experiments
• Stakeholder engagement and collaboration

Current Research Projects

Agricultural Conservation Research

• Long-term viability of US agriculture and food systems
• Sustainable soil and water conservation strategies
• Voluntary adoption of conservation practices
• Stakeholder engagement in conservation planning
• Decision support tools for conservation planning
• Land tenure and conservation

Water Governance Studies

• Institutional mechanisms for collective water management
• Policy implementation effectiveness
• Multi-stakeholder collaboration in water systems
• Climate adaptation through water governance
• Water Security

Environmental Policy Analysis

• Conservation policy evaluation and improvement
• Institutional design for environmental management
• Collective action in environmental contexts
• Policy translation from research to practice

Graduate Student Supervision

Dr. Ranjan mentors graduate students in the Environmental Science & Policy program focusing on:

• Environmental social science research methods
• Water governance and policy analysis
• Agricultural conservation and sustainability
• Institutional analysis and collective action
• Action research and community engagement

Teaching and Course Development

Courses

• Environmental Policy
• Environmental Science-Policy Interface
• Topics in Environmental Studies
• Introduction to Environmental Sustainability
• Environmental Social Science Research Design and Methods

Pedagogical Approach

• Integration of theory with policy and practice
• Action research and community engagement
• Case study analysis and comparative methods
• Stakeholder-centered learning approaches
• Real-world applications
• Policy and stakeholder analysis

Professional Service

Editorial and Review Activities

• Associate Editor for Society & Natural Resources
• Reviewer for numerous international journals
• Grant review panels for NSF and other funding agencies

Professional Organizations

• Member of professional environmental and social science associations
• Participant in water governance and conservation networks
• Collaborator with agricultural extension and outreach programs

Awards and Recognition

• Resilient Conservation Affiliate - Recognition for conservation research excellence
• Multiple Grant Awards - Successful funding for agricultural conservation research
• High Citation Impact - Over 2,100 citations demonstrating research influence
• Policy Impact - Research directly informing conservation policy development

Collaborative Research

Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF)

• Development of decision-support tools for conservation
• Precision placement of conservation practices
• Multi-watershed implementation and evaluation
• Farmer and stakeholder engagement

Water Governance Networks

• International collaboration on water governance research
• Comparative analysis across multiple regions
• Policy development and implementation studies
• Institutional capacity building initiatives

Current Research Focus

Dr. Ranjan’s ongoing work emphasizes:

• Collective action institutions for environmental management
• Agricultural conservation in changing climate conditions
• Water governance and policy effectiveness
• Integration of research with policy and practice
• Sustainable food systems and conservation agriculture

Research Philosophy

Dr. Ranjan’s approach emphasizes the importance of conducting research that builds theory while contributing to policy and practice. His work focuses on understanding how institutions and collective action can address environmental challenges, particularly in agricultural and water resource contexts.

Future Directions

Dr. Ranjan continues to advance:

• Institutional design for environmental management
• Climate adaptation through collective action
• Sustainable agriculture and conservation policy
• Water governance in changing environmental conditions
• Integration of social science with environmental policy
• Citizen/community science in biodiversity conservation

Community Engagement

Dr. Ranjan’s research directly engages with:

• Agricultural communities and farmer organizations
• Water management agencies and districts
• Environmental policy organizations
• Conservation practitioners and extension services
• Academic-policy-practice partnerships

Legacy and Impact

Dr. Ranjan’s career represents innovative integration of social science with environmental policy and practice. His systematic approach to understanding conservation adoption and water governance has significantly influenced both academic research and policy development in environmental management.