Oliver Fritsch

My research focuses on environmental policy, law and resource management, with a particular emphasis on Australia, Europe and the Indo-Pacific. I examine environmental impact assessment, the governance of mining as well as water resources management, particularly the social, legal and governance challenges associated with competing demands for natural resources, to better understand pathways toward more sustainable environmental policy and management.

Recent book publications include the Handbook of the Governance and Politics of Water Resources (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2024) and the co-authored research monograph A Research Agenda for Water Policy: Process, Sectoral Interaction and Learning (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2026). I also published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

I coordinate and teach three units, Environmental Policy and Law (ENV328), Principles of Environmental Impact Assessment (ENV556) and Environmental Policy for the 21st Century (ENV616). I also guest-teach policy-, law- and impact assessment-related classes in courses ranging from Environmental Engineering to Sustainable Development.

I am the Academic Chair for Postgraduate Coursework in Environmental and Conservation Sciences and also serve as co-editor-in-chief of the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management. I have consulted widely, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank.