Research 2023-24

Dr Estella Carpi (in collaboration with The Bartlett Development Planning Unit) is a co-investigator on the AHRC and German Research Foundation-funded project REFRAME: Reframing the Paradigm of Arrival. This transnational study examines forced migration and governance in Germany, the UK, Italy, and Turkiye, with a particular focus on Turkiye. It explores the complex choices and constraints faced by displaced communities, examining how governance shapes their experiences of arrival and settlement.

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Dr Rozana Himaz (PI) and Dr Saman Ghaffarian (Co-I) received funding from the UK International Science Partnerships Fund, administered by the British Council, for a two-year collaboration with Indonesia’s Resilience Development Initiative. The project explores how social impact bonds can be used to improve long-term health outcomes following disasters in Indonesia.

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Led by Dr Gianluca Pescaroli, this European Space Agency (ESA) funded project explores the full potential of Earth observation satellite data to better understand complex processes leading to high-impact multi-hazards such as droughts, floods and landslides.

Dr Saman Ghaffarian (PI), together with Professor Ilan Kelman and Professor Fatemeh Jalayer (Co-Is), established a pioneering collaboration with the Netherlands eScience Center to explore and understand the intricacies and challenges involved in developing digital twins for disaster early warning and risk mitigation. 

Dr Rozana Himaz leads a one-year study investigating the effectiveness of China’s High-Temperature Allowance (HTA) and Work Restriction (WR) policies. The project aims to assess how well these measures support vulnerable workers during extreme heat and their potential role in wider climate adaptation strategies.

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Professor Ilan Kelman's HuT project, funded by Innovate UK, is creating ‘safe havens’ for communities facing climate extremes. Spanning ten multi-hazard demonstrators across Europe, the project integrates cutting-edge disaster risk reduction technologies and collaborative approaches. It aims to improve resilience through trans-disciplinary solutions, early-warning systems, and long-term adaptation, drawing on best practices from diverse sectors. HuT’s focus on prevention, preparedness and co-production aims to deliver scalable, sustainable solutions for a changing climate.

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Professor Shams received UCL QR Policy Support funding of £10,000 for ‘WAPPEAL – Influencing Water Policy and Public Engagement in Bangladesh’ – providing new policy insights into water management and engagement strategies.

Dr Ting Sun was awarded a grant from the UCL Centre for Advanced Research Computing (ARC) under the ‘Fostering International Collaborations in Digital Research’ initiative, in collaboration with colleagues from the US Argonne National Lab on a project titled ‘Dynamic Urban Climate Modelling Integrating Climate-Human Interactions’.

Dr Punam Yadav and Professor Joanna Faure Walker each received £10,000 from the UCL–Tohoku University Strategic Partnership for research on women’s leadership in DRR in Japan and a double PhD programme.

Dr Myles Harris secured a UCL ChangeMakers grant to explore AI’s impact on critical thinking in disaster research and education in collaboration with a UCL student.

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Dr Myles Harris won funding for a knowledge exchange project with the Civil Aviation Authority, "UK Licensing of Sounding Rockets".

Dr Susannah Fisher joined the Executive Group for UCL’s Climate Crisis Grand Challenge, attended COP28 in the UCL delegation and served on the World Adaptation Science Programme Working Group on adaptation effectiveness. Find out more about RDR’s engagement at COP. 

Dr Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson and Professor Ilan Kelman contributed to ‘The 2023 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change’.

Professor Peter Sammonds led a team evaluating hurricane risk in Dominica, showcasing how our research supports complex hazard analysis and policy solutions. Read Hurricane risk assessment in a multi-hazard context for Dominica in the Caribbean (2023).

• Dr Yulia Ioffe provided oral evidence at the House of Commons on the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children, influencing UK foreign policy.
• Dr Sarah Dryhurst contributed to the UK government’s Prepare campaign, using her expertise in risk perception to shape public-facing communication.
• Dr Patty Kostkova was invited as an expert to a House of Commons parliamentary event on 'British biotech manufacturing: Leading the fight against mosquito-borne diseases' in response to the UKHSA report on increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the UK as a consequence of climate change. 

• Dr Rozana Himaz was appointed a World Bank consultant, developing a framework for integrated household-level risk management.
• Dr Yasmine Sabri was selected to become the academic lead and board member of the Humanitarian Logistics Association, working to bridge the gap between humanitarian logistics practices and education.
• Professor Fatemeh Jalayer was elected Chair of the European Facilities for Earthquake Hazard and Risk (EFEHR) for a four-year term. EFEHR is a leading organisation that develops and maintains open-access data, models, and tools for assessing earthquake hazards and risks across Europe.

• Dr Susannah Fisher was selected as one of four academics to represent UCL at the 60th session of the Subsidiary Bodies of the UNFCCC.