Lisa Schipper

Prof. Dr. Lisa Schipper is Professor of Development Geography at the University of Bonn since 2023. Her research focuses on understanding vulnerability to climate change in the Global South and the barriers and enablers for adaptation. She has extensive experience working across Central and South America, East Africa, and South and Southeast Asia.

Her educational background includes:

• BSc in Environmental Science (1997) from Brown University
• MSc in Environment and Development (2000) from the University of East Anglia
• PhD in Development Studies (2004) from the University of East Anglia
• Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the International Water Management Institute in Colombo, Sri Lanka (2005-2007)
• Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (Oxford, 2021)

Prof. Schipper's research centers on socio-cultural dimensions of vulnerability to climate change, including gender, culture, and religion, as well as structural issues related to power, justice, and equity. Her work has demonstrated how understanding underlying development factors driving vulnerability is vital for identifying effective adaptation strategies, yet this knowledge is often absent in adaptation planning. She has made significant contributions to understanding maladaptation - when adaptation efforts inadvertently increase vulnerability rather than reduce it. Her research also explores how religious beliefs influence hazard perceptions and adaptation actions. As Co-ordinating Lead Author of Chapter 18 ("Climate Resilient Development Pathways") for the IPCC Working Group II Sixth Assessment Report, she has helped shape global understanding of how adaptation and mitigation must be integrated with sustainable development efforts.

Prof. Schipper's scientific contributions have been recognized with several honors, including:

• Winner of Emerald Literati Network Award for Outstanding Paper (2017)
• Selected as one of Climate Policy's "Top 20 Papers"
• Ida Pfeiffer Visiting Professor appointment (2022/23, declined)

She is actively engaged in mentoring and welcomes students interested in supervision, particularly those with research questions related to climate change adaptation and development. Prof. Schipper serves on the editorial boards of Climate and Development (where she is Co-Editor), World Development Perspectives, and Global Transitions - Health. She also participates in several advisory roles including the Science Committee of the Adaptation Futures Conference 2023 and the CLARE Advisors Group.

Prof. Schipper leads the AG Schipper research group at the University of Bonn, which focuses on three main areas: Adaptation and Development (examining how development projects can best promote transformative climate change adaptation), Equity and the Politics of Knowledge (understanding how knowledge informs climate resilient development decisions), and Culture and Risk (exploring how clashing worldviews create barriers for policy making and knowledge sharing).