Richard Friend

Richard Friend is an Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of York's Department of Environment and Geography. He holds a PhD from the University of Bath and has over 25 years of experience in Asia, focusing on poverty, governance, and environmental transformations. His work emphasizes urban climate resilience, food systems in the Mekong region, and the integration of scientific and indigenous knowledge. He has led regional programs like the Mekong Building Climate Resilient Asian Cities (M-BRACE) and contributed to initiatives such as the Rockefeller Foundation's ACCCRN. Friend has advised organizations like the Asian Development Bank, IUCN, and WorldFish, and currently co-leads the Urban Climate Resilience in Southeast Asia (UCRSEA) partnership. His research bridges policy, practice, and participatory approaches, addressing challenges in water resources, hydropower impacts, and inclusive urban development. He is a member of IUCN’s Task Force on Resilience and contributes to platforms like The Nature of Cities.

Education: PhD in Social Anthropology and Development Studies from the University of Bath (UK), with fieldwork in southern Thailand.

Research Interests: Urban climate resilience, food systems, water governance, fisheries management, and interdisciplinary knowledge co-production. Recent projects include the Newton Fund Institutional Links on resilient food systems and the Reimagining Inclusive Urban Futures for Transformation (RIUFT) partnership.

Grants and Partnerships: Co-Investigator in UCRSEA (funded by IDRC/SSHRC), leader of the WasteShed Network, and contributor to studies on Thailand’s PM2.5 crisis through the Breath Council initiative.

Professional Roles: Disability Support Officer at York, member of the Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre Management Group.