Kati Krähnert

Kati Krähnert serves as Professor of Climate Change and Development at Ruhr University Bochum since 2023 and leads the Economic Policy Lab 'Climate Change, Development and Migration' at RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research. Previously, she held research group leadership positions at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (2019-2023) and German Institute for Economic Research (2012-2019), including acting department head responsibilities, with earlier postdoctoral appointments at Yale University and DIW.

Her academic credentials include:

• PhD in agricultural economics, Humboldt University of Berlin (2010)
• Magister in social anthropology and economics, Free University Berlin (1999-2005)
• Academic year abroad, Wake Forest University, US (2001-2002)

Professor Krähnert's research investigates multidimensional climate change impacts on human well-being in the Global South, examining income, wealth, land ownership, nutrition, education, and health outcomes. She specializes in evaluating adaptation instruments through rigorous impact assessment, particularly weather index insurance for smallholder farmers and anticipatory humanitarian cash transfers during extreme weather events.

Her methodological approach emphasizes primary household survey data collected through field collaborations in Mongolia, Kyrgyz Republic, Ghana, Senegal, and Vietnam. Recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on climate risk management, with 2024-2025 works analyzing land tenure security under weather shocks, index insurance demand determinants, and cash transfer effectiveness using mixed-methods field experiments.

No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials.

She currently directs multiple research initiatives including the 'Rigorous Impact Evaluation of Trigger-Based Agricultural Micro Insurance in Vietnam' and 'Understanding Climate Impacts and Adaptation in Rural Ghana', supported by grants enabling longitudinal household data collection across climate-vulnerable regions.

The Economic Policy Lab under her leadership conducts policy-relevant research on climate migration linkages and adaptation financing mechanisms, maintaining active partnerships with local research institutions across Africa and Asia to co-design survey instruments and implementation protocols.