Walker Update 7th October 2021

Dear Colleagues,
 
Welcome to the Walker Update, bringing you up to speed with the latest developments from the Walker Institute and the wider climate science field. We’ve been busy with projects, building collaborative relationships and communicating our research - read on to find out more!

One community:

• We are delighted to announce a new collaboration with Microsoft for climate resilient societies.  This will provide funding for the Walker Institute to advance research into understanding Earth’s natural systems, develop nature-based solutions to problems like agricultural stress, and strengthen collaborations with scientists and communities in affected areas. Microsoft UK is keen to draw on the research expertise of the Walker Institute to work across a range of issues including how to measure and manage climate risk and how to achieve Net Zero. A formal launch to celebrate the collaboration  is to be held at the University of Reading on 24 November. Find out more on our blog here.

Committed to making a meaningful difference in people’s lives: 

• A University of Reading / Walker Institute project that used flood impact reports to assess the accuracy of forecasts in Uganda has been selected as the winning entry in a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) competition. The entry, ‘Semi-quantitative information on flood impact for verification of flood events: Case study of Uganda’, was selected as the winner of the WMO 2nd International Verification Challenge for the best new metric using non-traditional observations. The project informs current initiatives by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre to develop flood early action mechanisms which require verified and reliable forecast information. The research scope has been extended to other East African countries. Find out more here.

By shaping a climate resilient future together:

• The OECD has promoted the Walker Institute’s work on their Losses and Damages from Climate Change webpages here.  Walker Institute hosted and filmed a pre COP26 ‘Net Zero Targets’ panel discussion, and Walker researcher Dr Heather Plumpton’s article on the importance of seeing values in climate science are published on the site. 

• Researcher Elena Saggioro has recently joined the Walker team to work on climate adaptation plans for vulnerable countries in the Middle East.  She was interviewed by University of Reading Alumni magazine on her work and what inspires and motivates her.  You can read the article ‘Facing up to Climate Change’ here.

What happened across the world this week?
Please click on this link to access the Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin produced by Prof Virginia Murray and her team at PHE, and archived by Prof Richard Allan. It contains a weekly summary of global hazards, including recent developments of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The previous bulletin can be found here.