CCPO and ICAR
Fall 2026 Virtual Seminar Series
MONDAY, 5 October 2026
3:30 p.m.
The next CCPO and Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (ICAR) seminar will be given by Professor Jola Ajibade from Emory University (flyer attached). Professor Ajibade’s research combines environmental and human geography to address issues of climate resilience and adaptation, with emphasis on equitable and just forms of adaptation. Her seminar will present research results that assess readiness of four large cities to deal with compound climate and social risks over the next two decades.
Professor Eileen Hofmann will host Professor Ajibade’s virtual seminar. There will be an informal discussion with Professor Ajibade prior to the seminar starting at 3pm.
Please join via the seminar Zoom link above to talk with Professor Ajibade and attend the seminar.
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Title: From Risk Management to Just Transformations: Preparing Cities for Future Compound Disasters
Abstract
Cities worldwide are increasingly confronted with compound and cascading disasters that overwhelm risk management systems designed for simpler, more predictable threats. Yet, as climate risks intensify, governance capacity is becoming increasingly uncertain when it is needed most. Drawing on research in Manila, Tokyo, Lagos, and Portland, this study examines whether cities are prepared for compound risks under changing climatic, socioeconomic, demographic, and governance conditions over a 20-year horizon. The analysis combines resident interviews (n = 112) with expert interviews (n = 77) to explore future risk scenarios and pathways for urban transformation. Findings show that across all four cities, participants called for major changes under scenarios where climate risks intensify and governance capacity declines. In Lagos and Portland, participants emphasized major changes in planning for flooding, extreme heat, and growing inequality. Similar concerns emerged in Manila, while Tokyo participants placed greater emphasis on the challenges of an aging population as climate and earthquake risks increase. Although the development contexts of these cities vary, residents across all four cities expressed a preference for people-centered risk management through inclusive governance, reduced inequality, stronger social cohesion, equitable relocation, ecosystem restoration, safer and more affordable housing, expanded knowledge and capacity, and integrated urban planning. Translating these visions into action is critical to strengthening urban resilience and advancing just adaptation to future compound disasters.
Biography
Dr. Jola Ajibade is a scholar-activist and Associate Professor at Emory University. Her research advances new thinking on disaster resilience, climate mobilities and adaptation, urban greening, climate labor, and just energy transitions, with particular attention to how institutions, governments, businesses, and community organizations can better serve historically marginalized communities. Working across the Global North and Global South, she collaborates with diverse partners to co-produce strategies that integrate environmental justice, community knowledge, and decolonial and care-centered approaches into policy and practice. Dr. Ajibade served as a Contributing Author to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and has consulted for UNEP and the WHO–UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme. Her award-winning research has appeared in leading journals, including Nature, Science, and PNAS, and has been featured in international media. She currently serves as Deputy Editor of Climatic Change and on the editorial board of Nature Communications Sustainability.
Previous seminars are available on CCPO/ICAR Seminar YouTube Playlist