The Federal Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) has been funding the Programme on Water Security in Southern Africa (WASA) since this year, in which the ‘Eco-Hydrology and Water Resources Management’ working group, led by Prof. Evers, participates.

From Oct. 10-11, 2024 the workshop "Intimate geographies of migration: (Countering) postcolonial violence in the urban everyday" took place in Bonn. The event was organised by Dr. Elisabeth Kirndörfer and Lea Haack from the research group "Cultural Geography". This report summarises the panel on "The intimate geographies of migration: (Countering) postcolonial violence in the urban everyday" and the panel discussion on "Critical engagements with postcolonial power relations in our research fields and at the University".

Applications for the Master programme "Geography of Environmental Risks and Human Security" offered jointly by the Department of Geography at the University of Bonn and the Institute of Environmental and Human Security at the United Nations University in Bonn can be submitted from now on until Dec 15, 2024.

The Department of Geography and the city of Bonn offer a great range of opportunities for international students: both for studying at the University of Bonn and in an international city with many offers for young students. This is shown in two newly produced films aimed primarily at international incoming students.

“It's really difficult and depressing to keep reading and researching about how people and ecosystems are suffering from climate change,” says Prof. Dr. Lisa Schipper from the Department of Geographical Development Research at the University of Bonn. As a scientist, she was involved in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Now, in a commentary in the renowned journal “Nature Climate Change”, she argues that science also needs discussions about emotions. We asked Lisa Schipper about this.

Our first stop on the bus journey from Nairobi to Nanyuki was on the edge of the East African Rift Valley with a misty view of Mt Longonot. A place that most geography students only know from their introductory lectures as a prime example of the formation of rift valleys and the shifting of tectonic plates. But the field school we attend is not just about looking at landscapes or observing the structures of cities, it's about practising how to do research in the field.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the University of Bonn have renewed their partnership, reinforcing their commitment to leveraging space technology in response to growing threats from natural and human-made disasters. This five-year agreement, signed today in Vienna, extends the "Spaceborne Earth Observation Applications for Emergency Response and Disaster Risk Reduction" (SPEAR) project, focusing on African nations. Head of the SPEAR II project is Prof. Klaus Greve from the Department of Geography, who retired in 2023.

The Violence Protection Working Group has developed a guideline for dealing with gender sensitivity and violence protection in courses with overnight stays, which will initially be implemented for one year from the summer semester 2025.