Tania Ocampo-García

Tania is a PhD candidate in Human Geography and Urban Studies (2024-2028).

She holds an MSc in Environmental Change and International Development (Distinction) from the University of Sheffield, where she used critical visual methods to explore the socio-environmental impacts of rapid urban growth across the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.

Her journey into participatory action research (PAR) began at InsightShare, where she cultivated a profound interest in participatory communication tools to address the power hierarchies implicit in research practices and in promoting social and environmental justice, merging her academic pursuits with practical applications.

Tania has organised multiple workshops to support staff from UN agencies, universities and research centres to engage in research and development through creative methods, valuing diverse forms of knowledge and breaking down barriers between community, researchers and policymakers.

Last but not least, Tania’s work supporting Indigenous Peoples in documenting their struggles as land custodians and their connection to the land through film has reinforced her belief in the inseparable bond between humans and their environment. This insight is something she plans to expand upon through her research, particularly in the context of urban settings, which are often depicted as complex and at odds with the natural world due to the pressures of the global economy.

Provisional thesis title

"Sensing Paradise: Mapping Cancun's Multisensory Urban Fabric".

Research interests

• Socio-environmental impacts of rapid urbanisation
• Multisensory urbanism
• Climate-induced migration
• Decolonial approaches

Prizes/awards/scholarships/funding

• 2024: Climate Leader Award by The Bloom.
• 2019: Scholarship for Postgraduate Studies from the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACyT).
• 2016-2019: Leader in Development Award by Santander Mexico, the Mexican Foundation for Education, Technology and Science (FUNED) and CONACyT.

Conference papers/working papers/publications:

• Ocampo Garcia, T.; Lunch, N. 2024. "Bridging histories and healing futures: the role of participatory art forms in transitional justice through the BREATHE! and Maasai living cultures projects". Conference paper for the DSA2024 Conference: Social justice and development in a polarising world. SOAS University of London, 26–28 June 2024.
• Moncada Jimenez, P.; Dafne Morales, B.; Ocampo Garcia, T. 2021. "Safety in tourist destinations: divergent perceptions of tourists and residents in Cancun." Working paper.
• 2024, InsightShare. Blog: "Colonialism, Healing, and Growth: the role of community-led narratives".
• 2021, The University of Sheffield. Blog: "Rooting for Justice – Sheffield graduates create a community-led campaign for food and environmental justice".
• 2020, The University of Sheffield. Blog: "Participatory video as a tool to empower communities around the world".

Expertise

Participatory Action Research (PAR), Social and Environmental Justice, Sustainable Tourism, International Development