Oscar Higuera Roa

Biography

Oscar Higuera Roa joined IIASA in March 2023 as a researcher in the Systemic Risk and Resilience Research Group of the Advancing Systems Analysis Program.

His research focuses on analyzing climate and environmental risks, as well as resilience and adaptation planning. He contributes to the CLIMAAX and Pathways2Resilience projects, aiming to assist European regions in assessing climate risks and developing visions for a climate-resilient future through innovative and transformative approaches. Through his work, he seeks to bridge the gap between science and practice by considering the complex interlinkages between technical, economic, social, political, and ecological factors in both urban and rural settings.

Higuera’s research methods include remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), multi-criteria analysis, impact chains, scenario planning, as well as forensic and qualitative research. He is particularly interested in maladaptation, socio-metabolic risks, the nexus approach, and portfolio analysis for adaptation.

Before joining IIASA, Higuera accumulated fieldwork experience in Colombia from 2014 to 2019, where he led and implemented various socio-environmental projects and studies. This hands-on experience laid the groundwork for his later role as a research assistant at the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security from 2021 to 2023. As part of his duties, he focused on exploring the interconnectedness of disaster risks and nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Higuera holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Colombia and a master’s degree in Natural Resources Management and Development from the Cologne University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

Last update: 23 APR 2024