Stefan Schneiderbauer

Stefan Schneiderbauer serves as a Research Fellow at the Department of Geography, University of the Free State (UFS), and Coordinator of the Global Mountain Safeguard Research Programme at Eurac Research. His work centers on climate and disaster risk management, social vulnerability, and community resilience in mountain regions globally.

His educational background includes Geography studies at the University of Cologne (Germany) and Université Louvain‐La‐Neuve (Belgium), followed by a PhD in Geosciences from the Free University Berlin (Germany) with dissertation research on populations' risks and vulnerabilities to natural hazards. This foundation underpins his expertise in geospatial analysis and natural resource management.

Research Interests: Dr. Schneiderbauer specializes in climate-related risk analyses, dynamic exposure assessments, and socio-ecological resilience within mountain ecosystems. He integrates remote sensing techniques and space-borne data to evaluate natural hazard vulnerabilities, with emphasis on sustainable development frameworks for vulnerable communities. His prior work at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre advanced global risk assessment methodologies beyond European contexts.

He actively contributes to the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) and Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA), driving initiatives including the Manica Highlands Alpine Base and Malagasy Mountain Programme. As Programme Coordinator, he bridges scientific research with policy implementation for mountain safeguarding across African highland systems.