“Congratulations to all our three researchers, their work is a great success and is an important contribution to our institute and to the countries where the research was carried out”, said Dr Fabrice Renaud, Director a.i. of UNU-EHS.

UNU-EHS currently directly supervises and/or hosts 37 international PhD researchers who conduct their studies within the institute´s projects. Working together with in-house scientists and experts at partner institutions, the PhD candidates benefit from an interdisciplinary setting.

About her research at UNU-EHS, Ms Shen said: “UNU provided me with an excellent research environment with international colleagues whom I could exchange my research ideas and experiences with. Especially, being embedded in a PhD programme, I had the chance to receive constant feed-back and inspiration from the other PhD scholars. I also appreciated my tutor Dr Katharina Marre. She has always been there for me whenever I needed a guiding and helping hand. I am very grateful for her constant intellectual inspiration and support.”

Ms Oft described her experience at UNU-EHS: “I am grateful to Dr Koko Warner, she has always provided important advice and input for my research and thesis writing. My colleagues at UNU have played a very important role professionally and personally. I could always seek advice and suggestions. Having the other PhD candidates around for mutual motivation and exchange was helpful. I could always ask how to present first ideas, how to prepare a questionnaire for the field, which methods to use and so on. Personally, it was also very important to have my friends and colleagues at UNU. We would plan BBQs or cultural events. That helped to relax next to research and work.”

Ms Mensah was one of the first PhD students at UNU-EHS: “I was fortunate to share the experiences of a small team as it grew to a much larger dynamic workforce with greater responsibilities. Interacting and cooperating with the range of various minds was an experience that went beyond developing my academic education but also my personal growth. Academically, my standards and goals became more refined as I understood my potential contributions in being part of the working world. Personally, I met fantastic people, had very interesting conversations, and had the opportunity to expand my view of the world and in the process, this enriched my life.”

With their focus on environmental hazards, adaptation and coping strategies, the three researchers perfectly fit the mission of UNU-EHS which is to improve human security by reducing vulnerability and environmental risks through research.

Ms Shen investigated and compared the different flood risk perception and communication cultures amongst key institutional stakeholders working in risk management in China and Germany. She found significant differences in management strategies and communication patterns.

“In China, officials trust that flood risks can be controlled using technical and scientific methods. In Germany however, authorities believe in uncertainty regarding the management of floods despite of the engineered protection measures. Revealing and knowing these patterns in thinking and approach can support better flood risk prevention," Ms Shen explained.

Ms Oft´s research targeted Piura in Peru and asked how micro-finance tools can build resilience. “I examined how local farmer households prepare for the recurring event of El Nino and other climatic shocks such as droughts and temperature changes. The results show that building resilience depends on many factors. Disaster risk management, knowledge and communication, good governance, institutions, capacity building, as well as financial mechanisms play a crucial role,” Ms Oft clarified.

She found that several initiatives and specific strategies for risk reduction and climate-risk management are being implemented at national, regional and local levels. However, these approaches are mostly carried out in isolation from one another. To build resilience, it is essential to promote synergies and cooperation amongst institutions and organisations. Another outcome of Ms Oft´s research is a raised consciousness for the importance of micro-credit and micro-insurance services for rural households to deal with environmental threats.

The dissertation of Ms Mensah looked at the connection of upland catchment rivers quality and land use of communities in Ghana. Rivers are in danger of silting and being polluted with fertilizers used in agriculture. She examined the sediment load in the streams. “Increasing agricultural productivity is seen as an essential component of development programs to reduce poverty and provide human security. In Ghana, the environmental implications to freshwater have not been assessed. My main objective was to assess the implications of increased land-use activities on in-stream nutrients and impacts on the quality of water for domestic use and on aquatic ecosystem health.”

The outcomes of her study show that with increasing productivity, there were significant increases in nutrient loads in-stream and changes to biological communities. “With Ghana’s objectives for increased agricultural productivity, the results of the study demonstrate the need for incorporating integrated water resource management into development agendas," Ms Mensah said.

The outcomes of the three dissertations add to the work of the institute and UNU-EHS is proud of the researcher Ms Shen, Ms Oft and Ms Mensah and wishes them all the best for their future.

Titles Dissertations:

Mensah, Adelina (2009): The Influence of Land-Use Activities on Nutrient Inputs into Upland Catchment Streams, Ghana. Bonn.

Oft, Philine (2009): Can Resilience be Built Through Micro-finance Tools? A Case Study of Coping and Adaptation Strategies to Climate-related Shocks in Piura, Peru. Bonn.

Shen, Xiaomeng (2009): Flood Risk Perception and Communication within Risk Management in Different Cultural Contexts - a Comparative Case Study between Wuhan, China and Cologne, Germany. Bonn.