Research Interests

• Environmental policy
• Ecosystem services and sustainable development
• The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
• Economic instruments for nature conservation
• Payments for Ecosystem Services
• International cooperation for development

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Current Projects

Protection of global commons such as biodiversity, forests and oceans for sustainable development − Knowledge synthesis from international assessments and recommendations for international collaboration and development cooperation. Financed by the BMZ.

TONINA − Transforming the Orinoquia by integrating natures´ benefits in the sustainability agendas. Colombia. Project lead: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Financed by the BMUB International Climate Initiative (IKI).

INTERACT-Bio: Integrated Action on Biodiversity. Project lead: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Financed by the BMUB International Climate Initiative (IKI).

Completed Projects

Biodiver_CITY San José, Costa Rica – Green space for sustainable development and adaptation. Financed by the BMUB International Climate Initiative (IKI).

SMART – MOVE: Management of Highly Variable Water Resources in Semiarid Regions. Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories. Financed by BMBF.

MoMo II: Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia, Model Region Mongolia. Financed by BMBF.

ValuES − Methods for integrating ecosystem services into development practice. Project lead: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Financed by the BMUB International Climate Initiative (IKI).

TEEB − The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. Project lead: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Financed by European Union, Germany, Norway, and other donors.

⇒ Data base on the occurrence of Elodea nuttallii (invasive aquatic plant) in Germany.

Publications

2013. Muñoz Escobar, M.; Pineda Weffer, C.; Holländer, R.: Institutional durability of payments for watershed ecosystem services: Lessons from two case studies from Colombia and Germany. Ecosystem Services. Vol. 6. (46-53). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2013.04.004.

2011. Berghoefer, A.; Mumbunan, S.; Muñoz. M.: Institutional Analysis of Intermediaries in Payments for Ecosystem Services. In: Vatn, A.; Movik, S.: Thor Heyerdahl Summer School in Environmental Governance. Institutions for Sustainable Development. Department of International Environment and Development Studies, Noragric. Norwegian University of Life Science. Student Papers Vol. 1.

2011. Muñoz Escobar, M.; Voyevoda, M.; Fuehner, C.; Zehnsdorf, A.: Potential uses of Elodea nuttallii-harvested biomass. In: Energy, Sustainability and Society, Vol 1. p. 4. Online: http://www.energsustainsoc.com/content/1/1/4.

2011. Zehnsdorf, A.; Kindler, A.; Muñoz Escobar, M.: Neophyten – Potenziale ihre Nutzung. In: Institut für Siedlungswasserwirtschaft der Rhein.-Westf.Techn. Hochschule Aachen: 44. Essener Tagung für Wasser und Abfallwirtschaft. "Zukunftsfähige Wasserwirtschaft − kosteneffizient und energiebewusst". Aachen, S. 66/1 - 66/7.

2009. Muñoz, M.; Holländer, R.: Institutional Sustainability of Payment for Watershed Ecosystem Services. Enabling conditions of institutional arrangement in watersheds. Working Paper, No. 80. Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Leipzig University, Leipzig.

Conferences

2011. November 10 – 12. Speaker at the International Conference Payments for Ecosystem Services and their Institutional Dimensions: “Institutional Analysis of Payment for Watershed Ecosystem Services. Lessons from Two Case Studies in Colombia and Germany”. Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF e.V.). Berlin, Germany.

2011. October 12 − 13. Speaker at the International Conference on Integrated Water Resources Management. Management of Water in a Changing World: Lessons learnt and Innovative Perspectives: “Conditions for institutional durability of Payment for Watershed Ecosystem Services. Case study analysis from Pradera, Colombia and Munich, Germany”. German Ministry of Education and Research. Dresden, Germany.

2010. May 24 – 25. Poster Presentation: Anaerobic fermentation of the Western waterweed Elodea nuttallii (Anaerobe Vergärung der Schmalblättrigen Wasserpest (Elodea nuttallii)). International Biomass Conference. German Biomass Research Centre (Deutsches Biomasse-Forschungszentrum) DBFZ. Leipzig, Germany.

2009. June 29 – July 2. Ljubljana, Slovenia. Speaker at the 8th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics, ESEE. Paper presentation: “Institutional Sustainability of Payment for Watershed Ecosystem Services. Enabling Conditions of Institutional Arrangements in Watersheds”. And Roggero, Matteo; Mumbunan, Sonny & Muñoz Escobar, Marcela: “Do they really think so? Institutional Implications of PES Schemes“.

2008. November 14. Speaker at the workshop of New Institutional Economics Network (Neue Institutionenökonomik – NIÖ is a thematic network of scientists from East German universities and research institutes). Martin Luther University, Halle – Wittenberg. Presentation: “Enabling conditions for Sustainable Institutions in Watersheds”.

2006. December 6 − 10. Speaker at training Seminar "Payment for Ecosystem Services" − Fostering PES projects in Central and Eastern Europe and CIS. German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and UNEP. Isle of Vilm. Germany. Presentation: “Institutional Aspects of Payment for Watershed Ecosystem Services”.

Teaching

2009 – 2011. Water Management Module: Seminar on Payments for Watershed Ecosystem Services for the Joint MSc Program in Sustainable Development. Institute for Infrastructure and Resources Management. Faculty of Economics. Leipzig University.