Maite den Butter wins the REMagine Award for best master’s thesis in economics

Maite den Butter, a graduate of the MSc Economics of Sustainability (MME-D) program at Wageningen University, has won a Dutch REMagine Award for the best master’s thesis in economics and business. The REMagine Awards reward ideas for a fairer and more inclusive future, and Maite’s thesis won in the category “Broad Perspectives on Prosperity”.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are among the most widely used tools for conserving marine biodiversity. Much of the existing research focuses on their ecological benefits, but far less is known about how they affect the people who live alongside them. Maite’s thesis addresses this gap by examining how the establishment of MPAs shapes the livelihoods and well-being of coastal communities in Indonesia.

Using household survey data, Maite examined how communities living near long-established MPAs in Papua and West Papua fared after conservation interventions were introduced. Her analysis looked at livelihoods, local economic opportunities and overall community welfare, contributing to a growing body of work on the human dimensions of marine conservation.

The thesis was supervised by Dr. Anna Lou Abatayo and Dr. Andries Richter. It connects directly to EconSES research on marine systems, conservation policy and the social-ecological dynamics of resource management, where bringing together environmental and social outcomes, and economic and behavioral perspectives, is central to understanding how conservation works in practice.

EconSES congratulates Maite on this recognition of her work. We look forward to seeing how she continues to contribute to research on sustainable ocean governance and marine conservation. More information about the award is available on the REMagine Award website.