The participants at the 2009 UNU-MRF Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability tackled this years´ topic "Tipping Points in Humanitarian Crises" from various angles. Their presentations, posters, pictures and other background material is now available for download.

The latest Intersections issue looks at the social impacts of global climate change and examines how people living in the low elevation coastal zones are adapting to global sea level rise by migrating. These living spaces are increasingly hit by storms and floods forcing people to find strategies to cope with these environmental threats. For many coastal populations, migration has become one means of adaptation and survival.

Download the issue No. 7/2009 here.

The 2009 UNU-MRF Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability took place from 26 July to 1 August in Hohenkammer, Germany. Over twenty PhD researchers and experts from more than seventeen countries convened to address the potential of climate change triggered tipping points which could lead to humanitarian crises.

The Summer Academy intended to prepare an assessment plan for understanding the nature of tipping points of climate change related to forced migration and humanitarian crises, the potential vulnerability and impacts (including costing) and the range and effectiveness of adaptation strategies and measures. The participants produced a scoping paper to submit to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) prior to the meeting of the 2009 Conference of Parties (COP 15) United Nations Climate Change Conference and to inform the IPCC’s fifth report, due in 2012.

“The Megacity Resilience Framework” by Carsten Butsch, Benjamin Etzold and Patrick Sakdapolrak, provides policy recommendations on how to increase the resilience and sustainability of megacities where more than half of the world’s population is living today.

Download the Policy Brief "The Megacity Resilience Framework" here.

"Linking Environmental Change, Migration and Social Vulnerability", edited by Anthony Oliver-Smith and Xiaomeng Shen, presents the articles of seven of the PHD researchers who took part in the third UNU-EHS Summer Academy of the Munich Re Foundation.

The researchers give a literature overview of environmental migration, concepts, and the legal and institutional frameworks. Using different case studies, they illustrate how vulnerable people are to environmental changes and how migration can be a coping strategy when responding and adapting to changing environments. In this context, the authors also discuss examples of resettlement and replacement patterns.

Download SOURCE No. 12/2009.

“Confronting Environmental Migration; A Framework for Research, Policy and Practice” is the first issue of our new Research Brief series. The authors, David Wrathall and Benjamin Morris, are two PhD candidates that participated in the UNU-EHS MRF Summer Academy on Environmental Change, Migration and Social Vulnerability 2008.

The research brief summarizes key findings of a series of events dedicated to forced migration organised by UNU-EHS. It aims to identify crucial issues on the subject to put together a research agenda in the field of environmental migration.

Download the new research brief, "Confronting Environmental Migration; A Framework for Research, Policy and Practice".

Prof. Michelle Leighton, Dr. Mohamed Hamza and Prof. Susan L. Cutter were chosen as the new cohort of Chairs on Social Vulnerability for 2009-2012.

Ms. Xiaomeng Shen joined the chair as a consultant.

The MRF Chair secured further funding and will expand its academic research on vulnerability till October 2012.

Find the contact details of the 2005-2009 chair holders.

31 July 2007: 2nd MRF Summer Academy - Students and Experts Address Megacities as Mega Hot Spots. A panel of internationally renowned experts met at Schloss Hohenkammer, Germany, from 22-28 July 2007 to discuss solutions for dealing with the increasing challenges faced by megacities. The title of the workshop was "Megacities: Social vulnerability and resilience building."

Download the press release in English and German.

The Munich Re Foundation and UNU-EHS proudly announce the second annual Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability from 22-28 July 2007 at the historic Hohenkammer Castle (Schloss Hohenkammer) in the countryside outside of Munich, Germany. The theme of the 2007 summer academy will be Megacities as hotspots of risk: Social vulnerability and resilience-building.

“Perspectives on Social Vulnerability” is a selection of papers from the first Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability, that took place from 22-28 July 2006 in Hohenkammer, Germany. This title suggests some of the fundamental aspects of the multidisciplinary, debate-filled, and policy relevant research surrounding the impact of shocks groups at risk face from multiple stressors.

Download SOURCE No. 6/2007

The Munich Re Foundation publishes annual reports which can be downloaded below:

MRF report 2008 English and German version

MRF report 2007 English and German version

MRF report 2006 English and German version