Lars T. Soeftestad, a Norwegian national, is trained in anthropology (PhD, abd, University of Zurich, Switzerland), and natural sciences (BSc, Universities of Oslo and Bergen, Norway). 
His main research and applied interests lie in social and institutional analyses in connection with natural resource management, including coastal zone management, fisheries (inland and marine), and rangeland management, spanning nire than 25 years of active and dedicated involvement. His work in these sectors covers a broad array of foci, including: community-based natural resource management (CBNRM), common property resource management, conflict management, institution building, technology use and transfer (specifically ICTs), knowledge management, and strategic communication. He has also worked on involuntary resettlement, ethnicity and minorities. His preferred tools and approaches include participatory approaches (incl. PRA), social assessment/analysis, stakeholder analysis and network analysis. 
In the area of CBNRM, knowledge management and strategic communication he operates, through a Norwegian non-profit CBNRM Networking (registered in 2000 in the Norwegian Business Register, Registration No. 981 666 905, URL: www.cbnrm.com) the global network Community-Based Natural Resource Management Network (CBNRM Net), initiated during his tenure at the World Bank. CBNRM Net (URL: www.cbnrm.net) serves the global community of practice of people working on CBNRM in various capacities. A majority of the members work and live in Africa, including in the countries in which the Lake Chad Basin is located. 
Prior employers include: Rural Development and Health Centre Foundation (a Bangladeshi NGO), NORAD (in Bangladesh), Sida, University of Zurich, and the World Bank. 
He has lectured at the following institutions: Agder University College (Norway), London School of Economics and Political Science, University of California Los Angeles, University of Bergen, University of London, University of Oslo, University of Stockholm and University of Zurich. He has published on the following subjects: anthropology, biodiversity conservation, common property resource management, fisheries, human rights, ICTs, involuntary resettlement, knowledge management, participation, strategic communication, and rapid integrated river basin assessments. 
Since 2000 he has lived in Kristiansand, Norway, where he manages the consultancy firms Supras Consult Ltd (Norway UK) and Supras Ltd (Bulgaria).