News
Risk perception of climate change and natural hazards in globalmountain regions: A critical review
Mountains are highly sensitive to climate change. Their elevated areas provide essential ecosystem services both for the surrounding mountainous regions and particularly for adjacent lowlands. Impacts of a warmer climate affect these services and have negative consequences on the supply of water, on biodiversity and on protection from natural hazards.
Rethinking urban heat stress: Assessing risk and adaptation options across socioeconomic groups in Bonn, Germany
With climate change and socioeconomic trends expected to exacerbate the risk of urban heat stress, implementing adaptation measures is paramount to limit adverse impacts of heat on urban inhabitants. Identification of the best options needs to be based on sound, localised assessments of risk, understood as the interaction of hazard, exposure and vulnerability. Yet a review of the literature reveals that minimal research to date considers the perceived impacts of heat among urban residents.
“Sustainability – Looking beyond 2030”: UNU-EHS and Bonn Alliance for Sustainability Research start new event series
UNU- EHS and the Bonn Alliance for Sustainability Research are launching a new series of interactive workshops and dialogue formats to pave the way for scientific contributions to a “Looking beyond 2030” perspective in sustainability. The series will begin with an expert workshop on “Revisiting Sustainability” in July, 2021, in which key members of the Bonn-based community engaged in the sustainability field are invited to discuss the theoretical and practical frameworks in sustainability science and policy. The series was developed as part of UNU-EHS’ emerging initiative Wellbeing, Sustainability and Equity (WiSE) Transformation and invites thematic engagement in future-oriented sustainability.
Master’s Programme’s presence felt at Humanitarian and Networks Partnership Weeks 2021
The Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) 2021 officially wrapped up last week, and for participants from the Joint Master’s of Geography of Environment and Human Risk it was a major success. Held online this year, rather than in Geneva, the high-level forum is the humanitarian field’s largest event of the year and it brings individuals, organizations, and networks the opportunity to collaborate and address key issues in crisis response and preparedness. […]
Transforming cities, transforming lives
Cities account for 75 per cent of today’s carbon emissions, and meeting global emission goals will require collaboration and city leadership. At the same time, cities are deeply affected by the current climate crisis. Extreme heat events, water stress, deterioration of natural assets and air pollution are having severe negative impacts on health and quality of life in cities and they are also putting severe stress on cities’ infrastructure. There are no quick fixes for solving these challenges. […]
Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for Risk Assessment in Monastir, Tunisia
Climate change and urbanization have increased disaster risk in cities and urged the need for effective disaster risk management and risk-informed urban planning. However, up-to-date data that can support risk assessments is often lacking. The ever increasing spatial and temporal resolution of remote sensing sensors offers tremendous opportunities to support risk assessments in cities. In a pilot project for the coastal city of Monastir, Tunisia, multi-temporal optical remote sensing and spatial analysis have been used to support the assessment of current and future exposure, vulnerability, and risk associated with flash floods and coastal erosion.
When do rock glacier fronts fail? Insights from two case studies in South Tyrol (Italian Alps)
The fronts of two rock glaciers located in South Tyrol (Italian Alps) failed on 13 August 2014, initiating debris flows in their downslope channels. A multimethod approach including climate, meteorological, and ground temperature data analysis, aerial image correlation, as well as geotechnical testing and modeling, led to the reconstruction of the two events. An integrated investigation of static predisposing factors, slowly changing preparatory factors, and potential triggering events shed light on the most likely reasons for such failures. Our results suggest that the occurrence of front destabilization at the two rock glaciers can only partly be explained by the occurrence of heavy rainfall events.
Creating Transdisciplinary Teaching Spaces. Cooperation of Universities and Non-University Partners to Design Higher Education for Regional Sustainable Transition
Using the interdisciplinary certificate programs on sustainable development offered by the German Universities of Tübingen and Duisburg-Essen as case studies, we analyze the potentials and challenges of teaching programs on sustainable development for promoting regional transition. Leaning on the multi-level-perspective-approach, we have used qualitative interviews to shed light on the design of cooperation between the university and regional partners as well as the creation and integration of transdisciplinary learning spaces. This paper shows that the impact of such teaching formats on the regional transition consists primarily of awareness and network building.
Call for abstracts: INQUIMUS workshop on transformational risk management and Loss & Damage
Scientists and practitioners are invited to submit abstracts to the INQUIMUS ‘on tour’ workshop for Transformational risk management and Loss & Damage: What are suitable approaches for assessing climate-related (residual) risks?
Previously hosted by UNU-EHS in 2019, the INQUIMUS workshop will take place from 30 November to 2 December 2021 at International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), in Laxenburg, Austria.
