David Wrathall

David Wrathall is an Associate Professor at Oregon State University's College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. He investigates climate change impacts on human migration, focusing on vulnerable coastal communities in developing countries. His research examines how climate hazards like sea-level rise and flooding interact with socio-political factors to influence migration patterns. Previously, he served as an associate academic officer at the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security and was a National Science Foundation postdoctoral researcher at UC Santa Cruz.

Education:

• PhD in Geography, King's College London

Research Interests:
Dr. Wrathall's interdisciplinary research spans climate adaptation, migration dynamics, and political ecology. He explores: (1) how vulnerable populations use migration as an adaptation strategy amid environmental stress; (2) intersections of resource politics, labor economics, and climate vulnerability; and (3) data-driven analysis of human mobility patterns using innovative methods like mobile network analytics. His fieldwork emphasizes Central America and South Asia.

His publications predominantly focus on climate-induced migration (38%), political ecology of resource conflicts (25%), disaster resilience (20%), and illicit economy-environment linkages (17%). Recent work increasingly incorporates big data approaches to track climate adaptation patterns.

Affiliations:

• Lead Author, IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (Working Group II: Poverty, Livelihoods)
• Fellow, Hugo Observatory on Environment, Migration and Politics
• Steering Committee Member, Population-Environment Research Network