Sessions and keynotes

List of sessions

1. Water system resilience under climate change

• Ralf Ludwig, LMU Munich, Germany
• Haifeng Jia, Tsinghua University, China
• Albert Chen, University of Exeter, UK
• Markus Disse, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Climate change is fundamentally transforming water systems worldwide, exacerbating water security challenges through more frequent and intense extreme events such as droughts, floods, and declining water quality, as well as slow onset disasters like sea level rise. These system-level changes are occurring at an unprecedented pace, necessitating innovative and adaptive water management strategies that enhance resilience across different scales. This session explores how societies can i) strengthen resilience in water resource management, from river basins to urban water infrastructures, and ii) develop adaptive responses to emerging extreme events and long-term climate impacts.

We invite researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to engage in discussing cutting-edge approaches in water governance, adaptive and climate-smart infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and community-driven strategies. Key topics include integrated urban and rural water resilience, transboundary water cooperation, participatory decision-making, and ensuring just and equitable water security. Join us to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and develop solutions for water systems that withstand the uncertainties of a rapidly changing climate.

2. Climate Resilience of Critical Infrastructure

• Tina Comes, TU Delft, Netherlands
• Srijith Balakrishnan, TU Delft, Netherlands
• Maria Pregnolato, TU Delft, Netherlands
• Jasper Verschuur, TU Delft, Netherlands

Climate change poses increasing threats to the essential infrastructure that sustains modern societies, from energy grids and transportation networks to water supply systems and food distribution chains. Extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and shifting precipitation patterns disrupt these vital systems, creating compound or cascading risks for economies and communities worldwide.

This session explores strategies to improve the resilience of key infrastructure sectors in the face of climate challenges. We welcome contributions on climate-proofing energy systems, adaptive transportation planning, securing water resources, preventing flood damages, and ensuring resilient food supply chains. Topics include resilience assessment methodologies, innovative engineering solutions, policy and governance approaches, and case studies of resilient infrastructure projects. Interdisciplinary perspectives that integrate technology, governance, and civic engagement as well as deep methodological discussions are especially encouraged.

3. Innovative Strategies for Climate-Resilient Coastal Development

• Manel Grifoll, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain
• Maria Ionescu, Geoecomar, Romania
• Julia Martínez-Fernández, FNCA, Spain
• Joanna Staneva, Hereon, Germany
• Pierpaolo Campostrini, Corila, Italy

Coastal regions face escalating climate change impacts, including rising sea levels, intensifying storms, erosion, saltwater intrusion, and human-induced stressors. Enhancing coastal resilience is critical to safeguarding communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure. This session examines innovative strategies for strengthening coastal resilience through scientific research, engineering solutions, policy frameworks, and community-driven adaptation. We welcome contributions on Nature-based Solutions—such as wetland restoration and mangrove conservation—coastal protection infrastructure, sustainable water and sediment management, living shorelines, climate-adaptive planning, and governance strategies for risk-informed decision-making. Discussions will examine the intersection of socio-economic factors, environmental sustainability, and technological advancements in coastal adaptation. By bringing together experts across disciplines, this session aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of coastal resilience and promote strategies that enhance long-term resilience in coastal regions.

4. Strengthening Resilience in Healthcare Systems

• Vincenzo Bollettino, Harvard University, USA

• Elena Weinert, LMU Munich, Germany

• Etc.

As climate change intensifies, health systems worldwide face growing challenges from extreme weather events, emerging diseases, and environmental stressors. This session explores how health systems can build resilience to withstand and adapt to these pressures, ensuring the well-being of communities in an uncertain future. Insights on innovative strategies, governance models, and community-based approaches that strengthen health system resilience are welcome. Topics include adaptive capacity in public health, crisis response mechanisms, climate-informed healthcare planning, equity in access to resilient health services, as well as relevant case studies and policy perspectives.

5. From resilience governmentality to resilience-in-the-making

• Petra Tschakert, National University of Singapore, Singapore

• Markus Keck, University of Augsburg, Germany

• Julia Teebken, LMU Munich, Germany

Normative adaptation futures need to wrestle with temporal dimensions of loss of things that will not be salvageable. Such engagements, however, are often hamstrung by a ubiquitous resilience discourse—a form of resilience governmentality—that obfuscates and perpetuates vulnerabilities, insecurity, structural racism, and other forms of violence. Whilst resilience has become the new mantra for top-down adaptation decision-making under which responsibility is increasingly outsourced to local governments, NGOs, and individuals already living precarious lives, negotiating and co-designing equitable adaptation pathways becomes exceedingly difficult. This session explores how relational knowledge and stewardship approaches in urban and rural adaptation and embodied resilience-in-the-making can counteract current modes of climate governmentality. By drawing upon case studies from the Majority and Minority world where relational, affective resilience praxis validates place-based values and more-than-human harm, this session aims to promote careful, deliberative experiments to prefigure equitable community trajectories and remedy ongoing injustices.

6. Urban climate resilience - green infrastructure for nature-based strategies and actions

• Stephan Pauleit, Technical University of Munich, Germany
• Thomas Rötzer, Technical University of Munich, Germany
• Julia Schiller, Technical University of Munich, Germany
• Nayanesh Pattnaik, Technical University of Munich, Germany
• Monika Egerer, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Cities are severely threatened by climate change. Urban green infrastructure (UGI), networks of blue and green spaces with multiple ecological and social benefits, is a key strategy to enhance the climate resilience of urban areas. However, the potential for developing multifunctional UGI in densely built urban environments must be better understood. Moreover, knowledge is needed on innovative planning and governance of UGI that overcomes institutional, regulatory, economic and power-related barriers.

Social-ecological-technological systems (SETs) have been suggested as a suitable theoretical framework for researching UGI within the complex interactions among cities’ social, ecological, and technical subsystems. The session will provide an interdisciplinary platform to increase understanding of UGI from a SET systems perspective, underpinned by insights from research and practical case studies. It aims to identify evidence-based UGI strategies and governance approaches for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners and examine their potential equity impacts.

7. Resilience to Multi-Hazards in Time and Space

• Reinhard Mechler, IIASA, Austria
• Jug Hee Hyun, IIASA, Austria
• Dipesh Chapagain, IIASA, Austria
• Michael Szönyi, Zurich Foundation

Extreme weather events, natural disasters, and cascading hazards are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change, posing significant risks to communities, ecosystems, and economies. Multi-hazard events—such as the interplay between storms, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, and floods—create complex challenges that require a systemic and adaptive approach to resilience. Despite growing awareness, there remains a gap in understanding, assessing, and strengthening resilience across different spatial and temporal scales.

This session seeks to advance knowledge on multi-hazard resilience by integrating diverse perspectives and methodologies. We invite contributions on:

· Exploration of both process- and outcome-based resilience assessment and modelling methods, including the use of climate data, AI techniques and remote sensing;

· Discussion of resilience strategies and interventions, particularly in terms of systemic and transformational approaches,

· Presentation of concrete interventions and adaptive planning processes (i.e. climate-smart agriculture, nature-based solutions, built infrastructure) including the role of capacity in fostering sustainable resilience and adaptation strategies.

· Cross-learnings and exchange on cases of universal solutions that work for multiple hazard types and contexts, with a particular view towards the Global South.

8. Leveraging GeoAI and Digital Twins for Climate Resilience

• Xinyue Ye, Texas A&M University, US
• Lukas Lehnert, LMU Munich, Germany
• Etc.

As human societies face increasing climate risks, innovative technologies such as GeoAI (Geospatial Artificial Intelligence) and Digital Twin models offer transformative potential to enhance social resilience to climate impacts. This session will explore cutting-edge research on how these technologies can be applied to understand, predict, and manage climate-related challenges in urban, rural and regional environments. By integrating spatial data, environmental factors, and socioeconomic trends, GeoAI and Digital Twins provide actionable insights that enable human societies to plan for climate adaptation and sustainability. Other advanced methodologies could also be considered.

9. Building Resilience for Sustainable Mountain Development

• Rongkun Liu, ICIMOD, Nepal
• Ningsheng Chen, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
• Etc.

Mountains cover about 24% of Earth’s land, including iconic ranges like the Himalayas, Rockies, Alps, and Andes. The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, for example, spanning 3,500 km across eight countries, serves as the source of ten major Asian river systems, providing water and ecosystem services to over 2 billion people downstream. However, mountain regions face pressing challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, natural disasters, and pollution, threatening their ecosystems and the livelihoods of millions. This session invites contributions that address mountain sustainability challenges while exploring opportunities for climate resilience, regional development, environmental conservation, and international cooperation. The session aims to amplify mountain voices and foster knowledge exchange among policymakers, middle and early career scientists, local stakeholders, and international experts. It will promote inclusive participation, engaging diverse groups such as women, youth, and indigenous peoples, to ensure equitable contributions toward sustainable mountain development. Through dialogue and collaboration, the session seeks to co-create a shared vision for the sustainable future of global mountain regions, benefiting both local and global communities.

10. Theoretical development of climate resilience

• Stefan Hochrainer-Stigler, IIASA, Austria
• Juan Rocha, Stockholm Resilience Center, Sweden
• Etc.

As climate resilience gains prominence across disciplines, its conceptual foundations continue to evolve. What does resilience truly mean in different contexts? How can we refine theoretical frameworks to better capture the complexity of climate impacts and adaptation? This session delves into the ongoing development of resilience theory, offering a space for critical reflection, debate, and innovation. We invite contributions that explore novel conceptual approaches, interdisciplinary perspectives, and theoretical advancements in resilience thinking. Topics of interest include the evolution of resilience theory across fields, the integration of social-ecological systems thinking, critiques of dominant frameworks, and emerging methodologies for assessing resilience. Discussions may also address the intersections between resilience and related concepts such as vulnerability, transformation, and sustainability. By bringing together scholars from diverse backgrounds, this session aims to push the boundaries of resilience research, fostering theoretical insights that can inform policy, practice, and future research.

11. Climate change, community resilience and the (un)inhabitability of places

• Christian Kuhlicke, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany
• Sungju Han, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany
• Samuel Rufat, Ecole polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France

Climate change is reshaping the physical and social landscapes of communities worldwide, intensifying vulnerabilities and testing their resilience. This poses new questions to the future inhabitability of places, but also to concepts such as community resilience and/or place attachment. While place attachment fosters a sense of belonging and can motivate community-led adaptation efforts, it can also lead to ambivalence when valued places become sites of environmental risk, impeding preparedness and adaptive behaviour such as relocation or reluctance to make adaptive changes in the places. This session aims at exploring the complex interplay of climate change, community resilience and places. Understanding underlying tensions and paradoxes is critical for developing policies that acknowledge the emotional and social dimensions of place while promoting adaptive strategies that ensure long-term sustainability. We welcome papers that examine community resilience through a wide lens, including urban and rural contexts, short- and long-term strategies, and diverse geographic settings. Research and real-world case studies showing how place-based projects and just place-making improve adaptive capacity and inspire positive paths to resilience are equally welcome as contributions engaging with the limits of community resilience or the ambivalence of place attachment.

12. Social resilience to climate impacts in the past

• tbc.
• Etc.

Throughout history, human societies have navigated climate variability, environmental shifts, and extreme events. Some collapsed under pressure, while others adapted, innovated, and thrived. Understanding these past responses offers valuable insights into resilience-building strategies relevant for today’s climate challenges. This session explores historical cases of social resilience to climate stress, drawing on archaeological, historical, and paleoenvironmental evidence. We invite interdisciplinary contributions that examine how societies adjusted livelihoods, governance structures, resource management, and social networks to withstand climate disruptions. Key topics include long-term adaptation strategies, knowledge transfer across generations, and the role of institutions, technology, and cultural practices in fostering resilience. Comparative studies across different climatic and geographical contexts are especially encouraged. By revisiting past human-environment interactions, this session aims to uncover patterns of resilience and adaptation that can inform contemporary climate policies. Scholars from history, archaeology, environmental science, and related disciplines are invited to contribute to this discussion.

13. Modeling Climate Resilience in the Global South: Past, Present, and Future

• Olabisi S Obaitor, LMU Munich, Germany
• Alexandre Pereira Santos, LMU Munich, Germany
• Andreas Rienow, RUB Bochum, Germany
• Matthias Garschagen, LMU Munich, Germany

As climate change intensifies, communities worldwide are facing growing challenges from extreme weather, environmental degradation, and socioeconomic disruptions. This session will explore the evolving role of climate resilience modelling in addressing these challenges by tracing its trajectory from early methodologies to cutting-edge innovations and future possibilities. The session will explore models and frameworks through their historical context, including conceptual approaches, traditional knowledge systems, and early predictive models that informed resilience strategies. It will then transition to current advancements, highlighting the role of remote sensing, artificial intelligence, big data, and community-driven strategies in enhancing climate projections and response mechanisms. Ultimately, it examines future directions, highlighting the integration of climate justice, regional collaboration, and emerging technologies that aim to address the needs of vulnerable populations. Bringing together experts from academia, policy, and practice, this session will offer a multidimensional perspective on strengthening resilience in the Global South by implementing different modelling approaches. Participants will engage with the tradition in the field alongside innovative approaches and actionable insights, fostering dialogue on how climate models can drive equitable, evidence-based decision-making. By bridging past lessons with future opportunities, this session aims to inspire inclusive and adaptive solutions for a more climate-resilient world.

14. Paths and Strategies for Maintaining Resilience of Natural Resource Systems

• Lei Shen, President of International Association of Natural Resources (iAONR); and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
• Zhi Cao, Nankai University, China
• Ayman Elshkaki, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
• tbc

Vital resource networks—including forest ecosystems, wetland habitats, aquatic food sources, cultivated lands, and critical minerals—constitute fundamental pillars of planetary ecological balance and societal prosperity. Yet their capacity to withstand pressures is being systematically undermined by climate-driven transformations, landscape fragmentation, unsustainable extraction practices, and contamination. Enhancing system resilience transcends ecological preservation, emerging as a crucial socioeconomic priority to maintain equitable resource access, sustain livelihoods, and support climate stabilization strategies in an era of unprecedented global change.

The International Association of Natural Resources (iAONR) is newly founded in 2025, aiming to become a world’s leading network of natural resources science and global professional association for natural resources researchers and planners. iAONR proposes this session for critical discussion focused on tackling one of humanity's most urgent priorities: preserving the integrity and resilience of natural resource systems amidst growing environmental stressors, climate instability, and human-induced impacts. We invite contributions to natural resources management from the perspectives of nature-based solutions, ecosystem-based adaptation, traditional knowledge systems, data-driven approaches, real-time monitoring, governance frameworks, circular economy models, etc. Cross-sectoral relevance in agriculture, forestry, urban planning, water, and minerals management are particularly welcome.

15. Young Scholars Symposium on Climate Resilience Research

• Wenhan Feng, LMU Munich, Germany
• Anissa Vogel, University of Cologne
• Wenkai Bao, LMU Munich, Germany
• Xunhuan Li, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
• Anqi Zhu, LMU Munich, Germany

This symposium offers an interactive platform for early-career researchers (ECRs) to reflect on and advance innovation in climate resilience and adaptation. Climate challenges demand interdisciplinary collaboration, the integration of diverse knowledge systems, and innovative methodologies. As young scholars, we are shaping the future of climate and sustainability research. This session will explore the following key questions: How to understand or define climate resilience from an interdisciplinary perspective? What novel approaches enhance the impact of climate resilience research? What skills and perspectives are essential for tackling complex climate challenges?

The session will be divided into two parts. The first half will feature 4–6 oral presentations, followed by a panel discussion bringing together emerging and established scholars. We particularly welcome contributions on topics such as transformative resilience, climate justice, bridging local knowledge and scientific modeling, interdisciplinary research in climate resilience, and innovative resilience assessment framework and methodology.

Main Goals:

1. Explore innovative methodologies, conceptual frameworks, and interdisciplinary collaboration strategies that bridge social and ecological dimensions of resilience.
2. Identify cutting-edge research gaps in climate resilience. Empower early-career researchers with strategies to integrate resilience perspectives into their research frameworks.
3. Capture key takeaways for a post-conference synthesis paper, policy brief, and future collaborative initiatives.

16. Open Session on climate resilience studies

• Liang Emlyn Yang, LMU Munich, Germany
• Matthias Garschagen, LMU Munich, Germany
• Etc.

This open session invites contributions in the various fields of climate resilience studies, which do not fit into the specialized sessions. We welcome presentations regarding best practices of climate resilience, real-world policy- and decision-making, resilience planning in urban and regional scales, culture and indigenous knowledge, resilience in rural and agriculture development, and other interesting and creative perspectives. The session will be adjusted according to submissions.