Human Environment Relations
Welcome to the research and teaching unit on Human Environment Relations (HER). We focus on risks and societal responses regarding the effects of environmental and climate change, particularly in cities, as well as on the opportunities and barriers for sustainability transitions and climate change mitigation.
Working Groups - Human Environment Relations
Working Group Prof. Dr. Matthias Garschagen
Chair in Human Geography with a Focus on Human Environment Relations We concentrate on risk and adaptation in the context of natural hazards and climate change impacts, particularly in cities.
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Working Group Prof. Dr. Henrike Rau
Social Geography with a Focus on Sustainability We investigate the causes and consequences of (un)sustainable consumption at multiple scales.
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Working Group Prof. Dr. Liang Emlyn Yang
Climate risk and resilience, carbon emission reduction, urban sustainability, regional development, water resource management
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Research exchange with Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS) in Bengaluru
Prof. Matthias Garschagen, Chair of Human Environment Relations and Dr. Deepal Doshi, postdoctoral researcher, were invited to visit the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS).
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Prof. Matthias Garschagen has been awarded a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council
Prof. Matthias Garschagen has been awarded a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council 10 Dec 2025 Through this award, the European Research Council (ERC) supports excellent researchers with a grant of up to two million euros for a period of five years to help them expand and consolidate their innovative research.
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Dr. Liang Emlyn Yang Appointed Adjunct Professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Liang Emlyn Yang has been appointed as an Adjunct Professor at Thailand’s prestigious Chulalongkorn University (CU).
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Final TRANSCEND workshop in Jakarta
On 23 October 2025, the team of the BMBF junior research group TRANSCEND, led by Prof. Matthias Garschagen, held its final workshop in Jakarta, one of the two case study cities, alongside Mumbai.
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Prof. Garschagen and Dr. Doshi giving an invited talk at Melbourne Climate Futures, University of Melbourne
As part of a research cooperation visit, Prof. Dr. Matthias Garschagen and Dr. Deepal Doshi, were invited to deliver a talk at the Melbourne Climate Futures Seminar Series on 09 October 2025.
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IPCC’s Second Lead Author Meeting for the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities in Mombasa, Kenya
Prof. Garschagen and Dr. Doshi participated in the Second Lead Author Meeting in Mombasa, Kenya from 21.-25. July 2025 for the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Mombasa, Kenya.
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Resilience Rising: iCARE25 Concludes Successfully in Munich with the Launch of the Munich Climate Resilience Initiative (MCRI)
The International Climate Resilience Conference 2025 (iCARE25) concluded successfully this week at the Catholic Academy in Bavaria (Kardinal-Wendel-Haus) in Munich.
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Munich Climate Resilience Initiative (MCRI)
Adopted at the Closing Plenary of the International Climate Resilience Conference (iCARE 2025), Munich, 29 October 2025
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Presentations at Adaptation Futures 2025
The Chair of Human Geography and Human Environment Relations presented its work in a number of talks at this year’s Adaptation Futures conference in Christchurch (New Zealand), 13-16 October 2025.
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International Workshop on Leveraging Technology and Societal Innovation in Urban Water Management Held at LMU Munich
This workshop was successfully held on July 31–August 1, 2025, in Munich, organized by Dr. Olabisi S. Obaitor, Department of Geography, LMU Munich in collaboration with IAHS Urban Water Working Group.
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Participation at the IPCC’s First Lead Author Meeting in Japan for the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) held the First Lead Author Meeting in Osaka, Japan from 10. – 14. March 2025 for the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities.
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COAST-SCAPES project receives EU funding: A new opportunity for research into coastal resilience
A new research project, COAST-SCAPES, has recently been approved for funding under the EU Mission Adaptation to Climate Change. Titled “Rethinking COASTal landSCAPES with climate-resilient interventions: systemic land-to-sea solutions”
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Matthias Garschagen appointed Coordinating Lead Author in the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities
Prof. Matthias Garschagen has been appointed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a Coordinating Lead Author (CLA) within the Upcoming Special Report on Climate Change and Cities.
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Meeting of the WG Natural Hazards and Environmental Risks in Munich
This year's annual meeting of the Natural Hazards and Environmental Risks Working Group took place on 29/30 April in Munich.
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New Paper in Nature Climate Change
Here you can find the new publication in Nature Climate Change on roles and responsibilities for adaption.
Read moreAssistance Human Environment Relations and Office Prof. Garschagen
Assistant Team Prof. Garschagen/Prof. Rau/Prof. Yang
Location and floor plan
We are located in the building of the Department of Geography (Luisenstraße 37, third floor on the right), close to Königsplatz (Maxvorstadt) and only a 10-minute walk from the main station.
Google Maps will help you find your way. Here you can view the staff offices and the room plan.