Lisa Schipper is a Senior Scientist at SEI, with over a decade of professional experience in development and adaptation to climate change (policy, science and practice). She leads SEI-US work on adaptation to climate change.

Lisa's research interests include examining socio-cultural aspects of vulnerability to climate change and other natural hazards, the relationship between adaptation and sustainable development, the links between adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and water management and adaptation to climate change.

Prior to joining SEI's Asia Centre in 2008, Lisa worked at the Southeast Asia START Regional Centre at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. She also spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the International Water Management Institute (a CGIAR centre) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Over the last decade, she has worked and consulted for the UNFCCC secretariat, UNEP/GRID-Arendal, IISD, UNDP, UNEP, UN/ISDR, GTZ, DfID, Danida, World Bank and Oxfam.

Lisa has carried out research in Latin America (Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua), Africa (Botswana, Ethiopia) and Southeast and South Asia. She has also spent many years intensely involved in the UNFCCC negotiations as a team leader for the Earth Negotiations Bulletin.

Lisa is also associate editor of Climate and Development, published by SEI and Taylor & Francis.

Lisa is also a Lead Author of Working Group II Chapter 21 (Regional Context) of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (due in 2014). She was Lead Author of Chapter 2 (Determinants of risks: exposure and vulnerability) of the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (published in early 2012).

Lisa holds a Ph.D. in Development Studies from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia (2004), an M.Sc. in Environment and Development (also from UEA) and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science (Brown University).

Lisa is a dual national of Sweden and the United States and has lived and worked in numerous countries in Europe and Asia. She returned to her birth-state (California) to work in the SEI-US Davis office in April 2011.

Publications

• Role of policy and institutions in local adaptation to climate change: Case studies on responses to too much and too little water in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (Report - 2012)

• Determinants of risk: exposure and vulnerability (Book chapter - 2012)

• Adaptation to climate change in Africa: Challenges and opportunities identified from Ethiopia (Journal article - 2011)

• Reducing Climate Risk Factsheet (Fact sheet - 2011)

• Learning from Recovery after Hurricane Mitch (Journal article - 2010)

• Religion as an integral part of determining and reducing climate change and disaster risk: An agenda for research (Book chapter - 2010)

• The Earthscan Reader in Adaptation to Climate Change (Book - 2009)

• Expanding the Community of Community-Based Adaptation (Policy brief - 2009)

• Climate adaptation as risk management: Limits and lessons from disaster (Journal article - 2009)

• Understanding the Role of Culture in Determining Risk from Natural Hazards (Paper - 2009)

Complete list of publications »

Projects

• Water Resources Planning through Climate Change Capacity Building: “Ríos del páramo al valle, por urbes y campiñas”

  
  

• Adaptation to climate change in the water sector – MENA region

  
  

• Quito Vulnerability Study

  
  

• Analyzing the role of rural institutions in enabling adaptation to climate change in the agriculture sector

  
  

• The Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia

  
  

• Integrating climate change adaptation, the natural environment and poverty reduction into national and regional policy frameworks

  
  

• Adaptation strategies to climate induced water stress and hazards in the Greater Himalayan Region

  
  

• Many Strong Voices (MSV)

  
  

• Advancing Capacity in Climate Change Adaptation (ACCCA)