Jürgen Scheffran

Jürgen Scheffran is a Professor of Integrative Geography at the University of Hamburg, where he heads the Research Group "Climate Change and Security" (CLISEC) and serves as Principal Investigator for the Cluster of Excellence "Climate, Climatic Change and Society" (CLICCS) and the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN).

He earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Marburg in 1989, followed by interdisciplinary research appointments at Technical University of Darmstadt, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, University of Paris (Pantheon Sorbonne), and University of Illinois.

His research integrates climate security, environmental conflict analysis, and human migration studies with expertise in the energy-water-food nexus, rural-urban dynamics, and complexity modeling. Methodologically, he pioneers agent-based modeling and social network analysis for conflict-cooperation systems, alongside technology assessment for arms control and emerging security threats from AI, bioenergy, and satellite systems.

Recent publications (2019-2020) reveal concentrated focus on climate-conflict linkages in vulnerable regions, particularly North Africa and Jordan River Basin, using transdisciplinary frameworks to analyze climate vulnerability, water scarcity tipping points, and adaptation strategies within security contexts.

He leads the CLISEC research group within Hamburg's sustainability ecosystem and maintains active collaborations with United Nations bodies, German Committee Future Earth (DKN), and federal government commissions including "Fachkommission Fluchtursachen" on conflict-driven migration.