Rafaella Lobo (Dr.)

Rafaella Lobo is a critical social scientist with broad interdisciplinary training. She has a background in global environmental politics and is particularly interested in global biodiversity governance from the perspective of the Global South. She followed several negotiations of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Whaling Commission as part of her PhD work. Her interest in international processes stems from a desire to understand how global governance can empower marginalized voices for more effective and equitable conservation practices on the ground.

In her current role as Senior Social Scientist in WWF-US’s Global Science team, she leads scientific research to advance knowledge on the processes, conditions, and actions needed to strengthen inclusive and effective area-based conservation in Latin America, with a focus on OECMs. She is also involved with a project to compile and analyze tools and approaches to inclusive conservation to highlight lessons learned, identify strengths and gaps, and uptake opportunities in the broader conservation community.

Rafaella joined the ENB as a writer in 2024. Born and raised in Brazil, she now lives in North Carolina, United States, where she enjoys growing fruits and vegetables in her backyard garden, playing beach volleyball, and watching dolphins swim by. She has a PhD in Marine Science and Conservation from Duke University, a Master’s in Political Science from the University of Central Florida, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from PUC-GO, Brazil.