Marie Currie Research Fellow
EN
The impacts of armed conflict on wildlife are rarely part of the conversation during war. In Angola, devastated by a civil war that lasted from 1975 to 2002, savanna mammal populations declined by 77%. Now, a global research project led by a Brazilian scientist trained at UFJF aims to shed more light on how conflict affects biodiversity—and to help large mammals return to protected areas that remain inaccessible due to landmines.
Biologist and zoologist Dr Franciany Braga Pereira submitted the project while working as a postdoctoral researcher at UFJF. Her proposal received €220,900 (around R$1.37 million) in funding through the prestigious and highly competitive Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship.
Her project earned the highest score among all selected proposals, granting Franciany the opportunity to to carry out her research at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU).
“The project will conduct an in-depth assessment of biodiversity in Angola, a country that endured 27 years of civil war and still has vast regions contaminated by landmines,” Franciany explains. Fieldwork will take place in Cabinda province (north Angola), the Okavango Delta near Botswana, and other biodiversity-rich landscapes across the country. Having already conducted research in Angola in 2015, she is set to return in 2025.
Beyond understanding how conflict impacts biodiversity, the project also supports efforts to clear landmines in border zones, enabling the return of large mammals displaced during the war. This work is carried out in partnership with the international humanitarian organisation Halo Trust.
Field research will employ infrared drones that detect animals through their thermal signatures. According to Franciany, the project will be carried out in close collaboration with local communities and both national and international NGOs.
“This research brings together science, technology and local knowledge to better understand what happens to biodiversity in times of war—and how we can protect it.”
The impacts of war
Franciany explains that in Angola, armed conflicts have primarily affected biodiversity indirectly, through broader social and economic disruption. During wartime, environmental agencies often suffer from budget cuts and staffing shortages, creating opportunities for illegal activities such as poaching and wildlife trafficking. At the same time, military-grade weapons like AK-47s became easily accessible and were used extensively to hunt wild animals.
This led to cascading effects: animal body parts, including elephant ivory, were sold on illegal markets and used to fund armed groups, contributing to the decline of large mammals. Explosives and landmines also directly harmed wildlife, causing serious injuries and contaminating soil and water.
“The constant noise from military operations and explosions causes ecological disturbances and displaces species,” she adds. These effects make biodiversity conservation in conflict zones extremely challenging, requiring coordinated efforts to protect both ecosystems and species amid social and political instability.
Franciany notes that, in recent years, over 80% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots—regions in urgent need of conservation—have experienced some form of armed conflict.
The project will run for two years, but as Franciany points out, “the most exciting part is the potential for long-term impact.” The goal is for the initiative to continue for decades, helping reduce the damage caused by conflict.
“Developing this project has been incredibly enriching, as I’m collaborating with international organisations like Halo Trust and the Civil War Department at King’s College London, both of which play essential roles in addressing the impacts of armed conflict on wildlife and local communities.”
A remarkable academic journey
Franciany graduated in Biological Sciences from UFJF in 2014 and pursued postgraduate studies at the Federal University of Paraíba, the University of East Anglia (UK), and the University of Barcelona (Spain). She returned to UFJF in 2023 for a second postdoctoral position within the Graduate Programme in Biodiversity (PPGBio), which she completed in 2024 under the supervision of Professor Artur Andriolo—who also mentored her during her undergraduate studies.
During that time, she was encouraged to apply for the international fellowship. Given the prestige and competitiveness of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme, Franciany initially didn’t expect to succeed on her first try and hoped only to score the 70 points required to reapply in 2025. To her surprise, not only was her proposal accepted, it received the highest score among all 2024 submissions.
The fellowship is funded by a UK-based scheme that allowed Franciany to receive a Global Talent Visa and choose a leading UK university for her research. The funding covers her salary, relocation and family support, research activities, and professional training.
At Manchester Metropolitan University, Franciany is part of the Department of Natural Science, where she conducts research and teaches. She also continues to supervise master’s student Juelma Santos at UFJF, whose work focuses on the migration patterns of forest elephants in Angola, and Camily de Oliveira Mota at Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), whose work focuses on the impact of armed groups on the Amazonian biodiversity.
Franciany hopes to return to UFJF and UFV periodically to teach postgraduate courses and share insights from her ongoing research and experience at MMU.
She highlights the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from top international institutions, including Professor Julia Fa (MMU) and Professor Robert Pringle (Princeton University, USA). Her project is supported by the Horizon Europe Guarantee Fund.
