Frank Thomalla

Frank Thomalla is an SEI Affiliated Researcher. He was Senior Research Fellow with SEI Asia Centre.

Frank is an Independent Researcher and Consultant and runs his own business Climate and Disaster Risk Research and Consulting (CDRC), which is based in Sydney, Australia. He is also an Honorary Associate at the Asia-Pacific Natural Hazards and Disaster Risk Research Group at the University of Sydney, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Sustainability Research Centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast. At SEI, he co-leads the SEI Initiative on Transforming Development and Disaster Risk.

Trained in physical oceanography and environmental science, Frank specializes in disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and development with a regional focus on South-East Asia, Australia and Asia Pacific. He has a deep understanding of risk, vulnerability, resilience and adaptation research, as well as a sound knowledge of the institutions, policies and activities for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, globally and in the Asia Pacific Region. His work supports inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation planning and implementation processes that lead to equitable, sustainable and resilient development outcomes.

Frank is a Member of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Asia Science, Technology, and Academia Advisory Group (ASTAAG), the Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance & Protection (PHAP), and the Board of Editors of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. He has been a principal investigator on numerous large collaborative research and capacity-building projects. He was a Lead Author of the Fifth ASEAN State of the Environment Report, a Coordinating Lead Author for Chapter 1.3 ‘Increasing vulnerability to the impacts of natural hazards and extreme events’ of the UN Environment Global Environment Outlook GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Asia and the Pacific, a Lead Author for the ‘Environmental States and Trends’ and ‘Policy Response’ chapters of the GEO-6 Global Assessment, a Lead Author for Chapter 7 ‘Vulnerability of Human-Environment Systems: Challenges and Opportunities’ of the UNEP GEO-4, and a Contributing Author to Chapter 5 ‘Managing the Risks from Climate Extremes at the Local Level’ of IPCC Working Group II (Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation of ‘Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation’. Frank was also a Lead Expert on ‘Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation’ of the UN ESCAP working group on ‘Increasing Economic and Technical Cooperation to Address Shared Vulnerabilities and Risks in the Asia Pacific Region’.

Frank has produced more than 50 journal articles, book chapters, research reports and working papers, and has contributed to numerous national and international workshops and conferences. He has also contributed to undergraduate and graduate teaching programmes in the UK, Sweden, Australia and Thailand.