Research group Prof. Dr. Schipper - Geographic Development Research

The research group explores the interlinkages between climate change and human development. By examining how development affects the extent to which people are likely to be affected by climate change, we seek to address the question of whether fair and just development is possible in a changing climate. We do this in part through the research collective co-ordinated by Prof Schipper, the Adaptation Hive.[LS1] 

Our research focuses on three domains situated within critical development studies:

• Adaptation and Development and the Adaptation Hive: How can development projects best promote transformative climate change adaptation that is both equitable and sustainable? How does climate resilient development ‘travel’ from concept to practice? We look at the practice of designing and implementing adaptation projects in the context of development actors and institutions, grounded in participatory methodologies and involvement with a wide range of actors;
• Equity and the Politics of Knowledge: Knowledge that informs climate resilient development decisions, to understand how climate change actors are integrating development ideas, the relative hierarchies of social and natural sciences and humanities in informing these decisions; and the extent to which knowledge emerges from the Global South; and the science-policy interface; and
• Culture and Risk: The uncomfortable reality of clashing worldviews including religion, aspirations and understandings of development, resilience and fairness contribute to building barriers for policy making and knowledge sharing, and requires unpacking. We explore framings and discourses around climate change and development more broadly, starting with a series of efforts to map discourses in social media, academic literature, and government policy.

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