Richard Bedford (geographer)

Richard Bedford is a New Zealand geographer specializing in population geography, migration studies, and social change in the Pacific region. He is Emeritus Professor of Population Geography at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

Bedford's research has focused extensively on internal and international migration patterns in the Pacific, particularly the movement of people between Pacific Island nations and New Zealand, Australia, and other developed countries. His work has examined the social, economic, and political factors driving these migration flows, as well as their impacts on both sending and receiving communities.

He has published widely on topics such as the demographic transition in the Pacific, the impacts of globalization on migration, and the role of remittances in supporting Pacific Island economies. Bedford has also been involved in a number of policy-relevant research projects related to migration and development in the Pacific.

His contributions to the field have been recognized through various awards and honors, including his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi (formerly the Royal Society of New Zealand). He has also held visiting positions at numerous universities around the world.