Dieu Merci Domboli was born in Kisangani, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He grew up in an environment rich in biodiversity, but marked by precariousness. This paradox between natural abundance and human poverty shaped his ecological and human sensitivity, his commitment to a fairer and more sustainable management of resources. After training in ecosystem management at the University of Kisangani, he continued his studies in Quebec, at Laval University, where he completed a master’s degree in forest sciences and began his doctorate as part of the DIVERSE project.

His work lies at the intersection of forest governance, social acceptability and the resilience of socio-ecosystems to global changes. He is particularly interested in the social and institutional conditions that make it possible to orient forest practices towards greater sustainability, equity and resilience. Within the DIVERSE project, he explores how functional diversity can become a central lever for adapting forest management to the ecological, climatic and social uncertainties of our time. What he is most passionate about in this project is the possibility of rethinking forestry not only as an applied science, but also as a societal project that integrates the complexity of living things and the aspirations of communities.

Dieu Merci is driven by a constant quest for social justice and intellectual freedom. Convinced that the future of forestry depends on better listening to local knowledge, more inclusive governance and transdisciplinary approaches, he works to make dialogue between science and society a central tool for meeting contemporary environmental challenges.