Laurence Smith is an economist working on natural resource management, rural development, and water resources management. He has experience of research, consultancy, education and training work in the UK and internationally in over twenty countries. He recently led research on catchment management funded by the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) Programme of the UK Research Councils. This research investigated how to control diffuse rural pollution and the policies and governance necessary to achieve this. Ongoing work has been addressing similar issues in China and Brazil, and continuing to seek out the lessons of success from catchment management programmes worldwide.

The Centre for Development, Environment and Policy (CeDEP) undertakes research and postgraduate teaching in the fields of agricultural economics, managing rural development, environmental economics and management, poverty reduction, and sustainability and development. CeDEP is part of SOAS, one of the University of London’s lead colleges, which has an international reputation for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to international studies. CeDEP offers postgraduate distance learning programmes as part of the University of London’s International Programmes, a global community and unique network of over 50,000 students in 180 countries.