Anna Beswick

Anna Beswick serves as a Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), specializing in climate adaptation and resilience. She leads LSE's policy contributions to the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (2025-2027), a multi-sectoral partnership funded by the Z Zurich Foundation targeting climate hazard resilience across 15 countries, and directs the NERC-funded £1.9 million ATTENUATE project while contributing to the Horizon 2020 €6.2 million HealthRiskADAPT initiative.

Her research centers on climate adaptation governance, climate adaptation and development, climate adaptation finance, locally led climate adaptation, and mediation and conflict resolution. She investigates multi-sectoral partnerships and place-based approaches to enhance resilience against climate hazards, with particular emphasis on urban environments and extreme heat events through policy-driven solutions and cross-border collaboration.

Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a concentrated focus on extreme heat policy and flood resilience, featuring themes like heat-resilient neighborhoods, low-emission cooling systems, national heat risk commissions, and integrated early-warning frameworks. Her work spans UK-specific contexts including London and Scotland alongside international applications in Jordan, Ireland, and European flood-prone regions, highlighting the transnational nature of climate adaptation challenges.

Scientific awards: None documented in source materials.

Anna directs major climate resilience grants including the ATTENUATE project and HealthRiskADAPT contribution, while leading LSE's Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance policy engagement. Her advisory work encompasses government entities like the Scottish Government's Adaptation Scotland programme, international NGOs including Mercy Corps and Concern Worldwide, and private sector initiatives such as Glasgow's SME climate resilience projects developed during her tenure at Vertue.

She operates within the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance Leadership Team and co-leads its Adaptation Governance Theme, coordinating with global partners across 15 countries. Her operational framework integrates academic research with policy implementation through the Grantham Research Institute, focusing on translating climate risk data into actionable resilience strategies for vulnerable communities.