Alexey GUNYA is a senior scientist
at the Institute of Geography at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. He
graduated from Moscow State University of M. Lomonossov in 1987 and received his
Ph.D. in geography in 1990. In 2005 he successfully finished the work on his
doctoral thesis: "Regional development trends". His main focus is the
sustainable development of mountain areas, which encompasses land use,
development strategies for local communities, riscs and conflicts. He has
organized and headed international expeditions in Caucasus, Middle Asia and
Altai. 2003-2005 he took part in the international project 'Accounting for
State-building, Stability & Violent Conflict: the Institutional Framework of
Caucasian and Central Asian Transitional Societies' (FU Berlin, Germany).