Climate change reshapes the distribution of disasters and the construction of urban resilience in coastal megacities
Project Title | Climate change reshapes the distribution of disasters and the construction of urban resilience in coastal megacities |
Project Description | Climate change is fundamentally transforming the spatial distribution, frequency, and intensity of natural disasters across the globe, with coastal megacities bearing the brunt of these evolving risks. Characterized by high population densities, concentrated economic assets, and fragile infrastructures, coastal megacities face increasingly complex challenges from rising sea levels, extreme precipitation, heatwaves, storm surges, and compound hazards. These changes not only disrupt existing patterns of risk but also challenge the adequacy and effectiveness of conventional urban planning and resilience frameworks. This project aims to investigate how climate change is reshaping the geographic and temporal distribution of climate-induced disasters in coastal megacities and to assess how these shifts affect the planning, design, and implementation of urban resilience strategies. Drawing upon interdisciplinary methods—spanning spatial analysis, climate modeling, urban systems science, and policy evaluation—the research will generate new insights into the alignment (or misalignment) between emerging disaster patterns and current urban resilience practices. The project will adopt a multi-scalar and comparative approach, focusing on representative coastal megacities across different economic and governance contexts (e.g., Shanghai, New York, Jakarta). It will involve the construction of a spatiotemporal database of climate-related disasters, integrated with socio-ecological vulnerability indicators and infrastructural data. Using advanced geospatial techniques and machine learning models, the project will identify emergent risk zones and assess shifts in exposure and vulnerability. Furthermore, the research will evaluate the effectiveness, equity, and adaptive capacity of current urban resilience initiatives through critical policy analysis and stakeholder engagement. Special attention will be paid to how socially and economically marginalized populations are differentially impacted by these changes and how planning strategies can address spatial inequities in resilience outcomes. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a forward-looking, climate-informed urban resilience framework that supports anticipatory and inclusive adaptation planning. By bridging the gap between climate science, urban governance, and spatial planning, this project contributes to both scholarly knowledge and practical solutions for building sustainable, resilient coastal megacities under accelerating climate change. |
Tasks and Responsibilities | Interns will support research on climate change, disaster distribution, and urban resilience in coastal megacities. Key responsibilities include: Data Analysis: Assist with collecting, cleaning, and analyzing spatial and statistical data using tools such as GIS, Python, or R. Case Study Support: Help gather and summarize urban planning and policy data from selected cities. Research Writing (Optional): Interns with strong writing skills may contribute to academic manuscripts and reports. Team Coordination: Join regular virtual meetings and maintain clear documentation of work. This internship is ideal for students in urban planning, climate science, geography, or data science with some research experience. |
Minimum Qualifications | Understand the whole story, and can deal some data to get results individually |
Terms of the Project (ex: 6 months or one year) | 6 months |
First Name | Nan |
Last Name | Jia |
Job Title | Assisstant Professor |
Organization | Shanghai Jiao Tong University |
Email |