Mark Pelling’s research while affiliated with University College London and other places

The comprehensive benefit evaluation of LID based on multi-criteria decision-making methods faces technical issues such as the uncertainties and vagueness in hybrid information sources, which can affect the overall evaluation results and ranking of alternatives. This study introduces a multi-indicator fuzzy comprehensive benefit evaluation approach for the selection of LID measures, aiming to provide a robust and holistic framework for evaluating their benefits at the community level. The proposed methodology integrates quantitative environmental and economic indicators with qualitative social benefit indicators, combining the use of the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and ArcGIS for scenario-based analysis, and the use of hesitant fuzzy language sets and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for decision-making. The framework’s novelty lies in the integration of the hesitant fuzzy weighted average algorithm to handle subjective uncertainties in expert judgment and the incorporation of multi-return period scenarios to enhance the robustness of the evaluation. The comprehensive benefits of 26 LID configurations were conducted in Chenglong Road Subdistrict under five rainfall return period scenarios of 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 years. The results show that LID measures, particularly combinations of sunken green spaces and permeable paving, offer significant reductions in runoff and peak flow, along with improved flood mitigation across multiple return periods. Additionally, this study identifies practical LID implementation priorities for local decision-makers. The relative closeness is influenced by the indicators and non-calibrated parameters. However, it overall does not affect the main trends and key insights derived. The robustness of the proposed approach is reinforced by four key aspects: the impact of the Thiessen polygon method in ArcGIS, the influence of composite runoff coefficient and iterative optimization in SWMM, the effect of hesitant fuzzy linguistic sets and TOPSIS on weight calculation, and the contribution of simulations under different return periods to stability analysis.

Purpose There has been increasing advocacy for the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster research and practice yet there are limited empirical examples that give voice to people with disabilities and their expereinces by consulting them directly. Conceptulising new methods that frame the role of people with disabilties as co-producers are essential for improving the representation of people with disabilties in the context of disaster research and beyond. The paper discusses how to facilitate disability inclusive research and introduces a participatory timeline tool that was co-produced by people with physical disabilities in Sindhupalchok, Nepal. Design/methodology/approach The participatory timeline activity utilised 3D printed counters to explore the experiences of people with disabilities during disaster events and their recovery processes, in this case, the 2015 Ghorka earthquake and the 2021 Melamchi Flood. The paper reflects on how to foster disability-inclusive environments by placing agency and ownership by people with disabilities at the centre of research practice. Findings This approach created an atmosphere of collaboration and supported co-researchers to reveal their experiences and knowledge on their own terms. The counter tool introduced could be adapted for different research inquiries and used alongside other methods which seek to facilitate the voices of people with disabilities. Originality/value The research paper adds to the limited body of litreature on how to conduct participatory research with people with disabilities in disaster contexts and more widely within Majority world contexts.

There is increasing effort in science to support disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation in urban environments. It is now common for research calls and projects to reference coproduction methods and science uptake goals. This paper identifies lessons for researchers, research funders, and research users wishing to enable useful, useable, and used science based on the perspectives of research users in urban planning from low‐ and middle‐income countries. DRM‐supporting science is viewed by policy actors as: complicated and poorly communicated; presenting inadequate, partial, and outdated information; misaligned with policy cycles; and costly to access and inadequately positioned to overcome the policy barriers that hinder integration of DRM into urban planning. Addressing these specific concerns points to more systematic collection and organisation of data and enhancement of supporting administrative structures to facilitate better sight of human vulnerability and its link to development decision‐making and wider processes of urban risk creation.

Non-technical summary We identify a set of essential recent advances in climate change research with high policy relevance, across natural and social sciences: (1) looming inevitability and implications of overshooting the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) urgent need for a rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future contribution of natural carbon sinks, (5) intertwinedness of the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. Technical summary The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports provides the scientific foundation for international climate negotiations and constitutes an unmatched resource for researchers. However, the assessment cycles take multiple years. As a contribution to cross- and interdisciplinary understanding of climate change across diverse research communities, we have streamlined an annual process to identify and synthesize significant research advances. We collected input from experts on various fields using an online questionnaire and prioritized a set of 10 key research insights with high policy relevance. This year, we focus on: (1) the looming overshoot of the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) the urgency of fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges to scale-up carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding future natural carbon sinks, (5) the need for joint governance of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) advances in understanding compound events, (7) accelerated mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility amidst climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. We present a succinct account of these insights, reflect on their policy implications, and offer an integrated set of policy-relevant messages. This science synthesis and science communication effort is also the basis for a policy report contributing to elevate climate science every year in time for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Social media summary We highlight recent and policy-relevant advances in climate change research – with input from more than 200 experts.

Urban flood risk assessment requires attention in inland areas with intensifying climate change and an increasing probability of extreme precipitation. This study describes the developments and testing of a sub-catchment-based multi-index fuzzy evaluation approach that can provide adaptation guidance for municipal decision-makers at a local level. We first built a comprehensive flood risk assessment system considering three categories: hazard, urban system, and social environment. The proposed evaluation system includes hybrid uncertain information that involves random indicator sources and hesitant fuzzy judgments from experts. The storm weather management model combined with geographic information system tools was then applied to obtain random indicators. Subsequently, hesitant fuzzy linguistic sets and the Euclidean distance method were adopted to solve the problem of uncertainty and vagueness from subjective hesitant information. Therefore, the aggregation method provides a beneficial way to assess flood risk in a hybrid uncertain environment. In addition, the proposed approach was applied to the Jinjiang district in an inland city in the P. R. of China. This supports efforts to prioritize locally tailored policies and practical measures for higher-risk sub-catchments within large urban systems.