My work broadly concentrates on the social and political dimensions of climate change and natural hazards. I am interested in the ways people and institutions engage with these challenges. A second though connected strand of my work is on the participatory planning of natural resources.

Keywords: societal resilience, risk communication, capacity building, participation, capacity building, risk governance, natural hazards, climate change

PROJECTS:

CapHaz-Net:  Social Capacity Building for Natural Hazards – Towards More Resilient Societies (2009-2012)

Funding: European Community's 7th Framework Programme

Together with: Dr. M. Buchecker (WSL), Dr. M. Bründl (SLF)

As a Research Fellow at the WSL I am involved in the CapHaz-Net, a Europe-wide network that brings together social scientists and practicioners to meet the challenge of natural hazards such as floods, mass movements, avalanches and droughts.

Public Engagement with Climate Change (2007-2009)

Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation

At: Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Diana Liverman

I worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), Oxford University (UK). My research focussed on public participation in climate change mitigation and adaptation in the United Kingdom. 

Requirements for local quality of life and the potential of consensus building for a sustainable development of space and mobility (2004-2007)

Funding: WSL research programme  'Land Resources Management in Peri-Urban Environments'

Advisors: Dr. J. Frick (WSL), Dr. M. Buchecker (WSL), Prof. Dr. H. Elsassser (Department of Geography, University of Zurich)

In my doctoral research at the WSL I examined the social and psychological effects of participatory planning processes in Switzerland. I published several articles on social aspects of Landscape Development Concepts (LEK), back then a fairly new participatory planning approach. I have also written on the constitution and role of trust in land use planning.