Niko Howai

Dr Niko Howai most recently worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Economics Department at the University of Manchester, UK on the ‘Valuing Biodiversity in Multi-functional Urban Development and Environments’ (Biurbs) project. This project is part of the broader Economics of Biodiversity Programme funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). He used a mixed method approach to valuing urban biodiversity with in-depth interviews, discrete choice experiments and participatory geographic information systems in Greater Manchester. Since 2023, he is also an executive member of the Caribbean Agro-Economic Society serving as the Assistant Director of Publications.

Background

Niko previously worked as a lecturer in Business Analytics at Manchester Metropolitan University and served in the Royal Navy. He completed a PhD in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Economics at the University of Reading, UK where his research focused on mangrove ecosystem services in Tobago. His PhD was preceded by a Postgraduate Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad.

Research Interests

• Land and oceans
• Biodiversity
• Forests
• Choice modelling
• Environmental and development policies
• Climate adaptation
• Loss and damage from extreme weather
• Global value chains
• General interest in applied economics topics