Reinhard Mechler
Research Group Leader and Senior Research Scholar
Systemic Risk and Resilience Research Group
Advancing Systems Analysis Program
Biography
Reinhard Mechler has over 20 years of experience analyzing and addressing socio-economic aspects of disaster and climate change risks. His interest is to provide evidence-based advice to a wide range of public and private sector decision-makers to improve decisions and build resilience against salient risks. Currently, he is the leader of the Systemic Risk and Resilience (SYRR) Research Group in the IIASA Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) Program. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of Graz and is a senior lecturer at the University for Economics and Business in Vienna.Dr. Mechler has led and contributed to many international research and consultancy projects and is currently leading research for the Flood Resilience Alliance, which brings together researchers, international NGOs, and the private sector to build disaster and climate resilience across the globe. He acted as a lead author on the IPCC's special report on managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation (SREX), the 5th assessment report and the report on 1.5°C global warming, and is currently a lead author on the IPCC's 6th assessment report.
Areas of Expertise: Socio-Economics of natural disaster risk management and climate adaptation, climate risk and resilience, disaster risk management and climate change policy, loss and damage, climate finance.
Last update: 24 MAR 2021
Publications
Hochrainer-Stigler, S., Mechler, R. , Linnerooth-Bayer, J., & Suarez, P. (2009). Report on identified developing country regions for study of novel development assistance options, and characterization of risk profiles. Deliverable D-A2.6b, ADAM (Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies: Supporting European Climate Policy)
Hochrainer-Stigler, S. & Mechler, R. (2008). Assessing financial and economic vulnerability to natural hazards: Bridging the gap between scientific assessment and the implementation of disaster risk management with the CatSim model. In: Assessing Vulnerability to Global Environmental Change. Eds. Patt, A. & Schroeter, D., UK pp.173-194: Earthscan. ISBN 9781844076970
Mechler, R. , Hochrainer-Stigler, S., Kull, D., Chopde, S., Singh, P., & Wajih, S. (2008). Uttar Pradesh Drought Cost-Benefit Analysis. [[From Risk to Resilience]] Working Paper 5, Moench M, Caspari E, Pokhrel A (eds), ISET, ISET-Nepal and ProVention, Kathmandu, Nepal 32pp
Mechler, R. , Hochrainer-Stigler, S., & Williges, K. (2008). The special nature of natural disaster risk in Asian megacities. A case for megacity risk pooling? Conference Paper, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Conference on Natural Catastrophe Risk Insurance Mechanisms for Asia and the Pacific, 4-5 November 2008, Tokyo, Japan
Linnerooth-Bayer, J., Bals, M.J., & Mechler, R. (2008). Climate Insurance as part of a Post-Kyoto Adaptation Strategy. Germanwatch [2008]