Geographies of Development and Disasters

This group examines the current and future survivability and resilience of communities in the face of climate, economic, and political changes. With a strong focus on sustainable development, environmental justice, and economic and social inclusion, the group aims to provide an evidence base for new policies and practices.  

Innovative transdisciplinary research based on equitable partnerships with organisations and communities in the global South is needed to meet the intersecting challenges of vulnerability, poverty, disasters, and the climate emergency. Geographies of Development and Disasters will address the complex development challenges faced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, within a broader context of unprecedented climate and political-economic crises. Our research will advance theoretical scholarship in this area and develop the innovative methodological and policy toolkits required to meet these challenges. 

 

Projects and Collaborations  

Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE)

The CAPE project is a national collaboration to support academic engagement with public policy. The project aims to foster and support academic engagement with policy professionals, and enable greater understanding and cooperation between universities, national government, parliament and regional and local authorities. CAPE is being led by UCL and as well as Northumbria, partners also include the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester and Nottingham as well as Parliament, Government and policy organisations.

Skills acquisition and employability through volunteering by displaced youth in Uganda

Forced displacement of people is an ongoing challenge globally with the numbers predicted to increase in the coming years. This project is investigating the extent to which volunteering can help reduce inequalities experienced by displaced young people in Uganda, and how it can help grow their skills and employability. Over a million refugees are currently seeking refuge in Uganda, the majority of which are children fleeing conflicts from other countries.  

Living Deltas

The Living Deltas Research Hub is investigating the interaction between the world’s river deltas and the communities that live on them. River deltas are ecologically important and highly susceptible to environmental changes. At the same time, over half a billion people live on the world's deltas so understanding these interactions and managing them in a sustainable way is crucial.   

Preparedness and planning for the mountain hazard and risk chain in Nepal

Almost one billion people live in mountain landscapes in developing countries. These areas are subject to multiple extreme weather hazards which often disproportionately affect some of the most vulnerable populations, particularly in countries such as Nepal where there are additional pressures from social, political and economic factors. This project is investigating how to best develop and use interdisciplinary science to better inform decision making and reduce the impacts of these events for those affected communities.  

Harnessing Afro-Ecuadorian Women’s Heritage to Promote Peaceful and Equitable Development in Esmeraldas, Ecuador 

Afro-Ecuadorian women in Esmeraldas, Ecuador are one of the most marginalised groups in the country as a result of large-scale natural resource extraction, socio-environmental conflicts, drug trafficking, and environmental degradation as a result of climate change. This project aims to collectively reflect on the cultural identifies of these women and harness this understanding towards equitable development. Part of the project will be to train young women to collect histories from older women to encourage inter-generational dialogue and help pave the way forward for progress.  

Young Palestinians' Responses to House Demolitions: Youth Agency for Sustainable Development?

This project focuses on young people to investigate the responses and impact of house demolitions in rural and urban areas of Palestine. The findings will be used to facilitate and improve dialogue and develop policies and practices to reflect the needs and experiences of young people.  

Biostatistical analysis of female genital mutilation/cutting

Led by Professor Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala, Northumbria is helping not-for-profit organisations make informed decisions about how to deploy resources for interventions in groups at high-risk of female genital mutilation/cutting. The research uses Bayesian statistical models to help identify hotspots where the practice is widespread in order to help mobilise efforts to benefit the greatest number of people.  

Find out more

Find out about the Centre for International Development

Find out more about Geographies of Development and Disasters on our Department research page