Research
We strive to produce world-leading research in disaster risk reduction through a multidisciplinary perspective for the long-term benefit of humanity.
The Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction conducts research in disaster risk reduction and resilience, around the themes: What causes risk and disaster? What are the consequences of risk and disasters? and Catalysing change.
Our Research Foci
Understanding climate change risks, especially for those marginalised, and adaptation through capacity building, developing institutions and incentive structures.
Investigating violence, conflicts and their consequences, the forces behind displacement, (im)mobility and wider human rights and humanitarian concerns.
Understanding, tracking, and communicating health and social risks through interdisciplinary methods and digital tools.
Developing awareness of and responsiveness to gender, intersectionality, inclusion, and wider politics in the contexts of risks, vulnerabilities and disasters.
Understanding geological and meteorological hazards, multi-hazards, and developing ways to mitigate disaster. Risk and uncertainty quantification and communication, catastrophe modelling.
Planning for and managing disasters and humanitarian crises through warning systems, resilience management, shelter and housing, disaster risk finance, micro-finance.
Prize-winning student dissertations and research focusing on future leaders and influencers in the humanitarian and disaster risk reduction sphere.
Our Researchers
All academic staff in the department undertake research, and we welcome visiting researchers from around the globe. Find out more about the research experts in the RDR on our People page and see their full bios on UCL Profiles.
Research Themes
Research in the department centres around three guiding themes.
What causes risk and disaster?
Investigating the science, socioeconomics, and politics behind hazards, vulnerabilities, risks, and disasters, through measurement and modelling using multidisciplinary approaches ranging from anthropological to digital technologies.
- Primary data collection from the natural environment (earth, air and water)
- Primary data collection from social, economic, cultural, and political environments
- Construction characteristics and damage and loss metrics of housing and infrastructure.
- Modelling drivers of risk and disasters.
What are the consequences of risk and disasters?
Understanding individual and multi hazards, cascading effects, vulnerability and risk, their interactions and dynamics, and implications.
- Use quantitative and qualitative data to assess loss, damage and wider impacts on people, sectors, communities, systems and the environment.
- Investigate the implications for economic development in the long and short terms.
- Analyse how risk and disaster are experienced differently based on a range of factors including socio-economic, demographic, governance, and historical, and pre-existing inequalities.
Catalysing change
Innovative interdisciplinary application of techniques to improve disaster risk reduction, resilience, and humanitarian response management.
- Disaster risk management
- Supporting planning and anticipatory action
- Communicating risk
- Collaborative thinking and ideas
- Educating future leaders
Research Groups
Research projects
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View a full list of ongoing research projects undertaken in the Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction.