Joern Birkmann
Head of the Vulnerability Assessment, Risk Management & Adaptive Planning SectionUnited Nations University
Dr. Joern Birkmann is Head of the Vulnerability Assessment, Risk Management & Adaptive Planning Section (VARMAP) at United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Bonn. He holds a Ph.D. in Spatial Planning from the Dortmund University and a post-doctoral degree in Geography (Habilitation) from the University of Bonn, Department of Geography. He has broad expertise in the field of vulnerability, sustainable development and environmental assessment, and has specialized in the development of assessment methodologies to evaluate socio-economic trends and environmental degradation. He is currently IPCC Lead-Author in the IPCC Special Report “Managing the Risk of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation” and is also currently involved in vulnerability assessment in coastal and flood-prone communities in Indonesia and Vietnam.