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Financial de-risking products to value biodiversity's role in reducing impacts of natural disasters
Project Description
This project will investigate how biodiversity buffers human populations against the impacts of natural disasters. The research will begin by compiling and analysing spatial, remote-sensed datasets on natural disasters to map their economic costs and recovery timelines, such as when commuting patterns return to normal. Directionality models will then be used to trace how disaster impacts propagate through regions, identifying when and where effects peak and subside.
The project will develop predictive models to quantify the economic savings provided by biodiversity, focusing on its role in mitigating disaster impacts, such as reducing infrastructure damage or speeding up recovery. By comparing outcomes in biodiverse versus less biodiverse areas, the research will demonstrate how ecosystems act as natural disaster buffers. Finally, the project will collaborate with economists to create financial de-risking products, such as risk assessment tools or insurance frameworks, which quantify the financial benefits of biodiversity conservation.
This interdisciplinary approach bridges ecology and economics, offering a framework to integrate biodiversity’s protective value into disaster preparedness and planning. The project’s findings will inform conservation strategies and enable policymakers and investors to incorporate biodiversity as a cost-effective solution for enhancing regional resilience to natural disasters.
Research themes
Project Specific Training
The student will receive comprehensive training in spatial data analysis and ecological modelling, tailored to the project’s focus on biodiversity and disaster resilience. Training in handling remote-sensed and large-scale geospatial datasets will be delivered through one-to-one instruction by the supervisory team, with additional workshops or courses as needed to develop advanced skills in tools such as GIS, Python, or R. This will include methods for analysing spatial patterns of disaster impacts, recovery timelines, and biodiversity metrics.
The student will also gain expertise in predictive modelling, including the use of Bayesian regressions and machine learning techniques to quantify biodiversity’s economic benefits in mitigating disaster impacts. This will involve close guidance from the supervisory team during model development, alongside opportunities to engage with external experts in ecological and economic modelling.
In the later stages, the student will collaborate with economists to create financial de-risking tools, learning how to translate ecological data into frameworks usable by policymakers and investors. This interdisciplinary training will include exposure to risk analysis and economic evaluation methods through external partners or workshops, ensuring the student is equipped to communicate findings effectively across disciplines. This tailored training will prepare the student for a range of career pathways in ecological research, policy, and environmental management.
Potential Career Trajectory
This project provides a strong foundation for careers in academia and professional sectors focused on ecology and environmental science. In academia, the student will be well-positioned for roles in ecological modelling, climate resilience, and biodiversity research, including postdoctoral fellowships and academic positions. Their expertise in integrating geospatial data, ecological processes, and economic frameworks will support research addressing climate and disaster impacts on natural systems.
In professional sectors, the student’s skills will be valuable to government agencies, environmental NGOs, and international organisations focused on biodiversity conservation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development. They could work, for example, as environmental analysts, resilience planners, or policy advisors, contributing to strategies that integrate ecological and economic perspectives.
The financial modelling and interdisciplinary aspects of the project also open pathways in the private sector, including roles in insurance, environmental consulting, and sustainability planning. Companies focused on risk management and infrastructure investment will value the student’s ability to quantify and communicate the economic benefits of biodiversity for disaster mitigation, bridging ecological science with actionable policy and investment decisions.
Project supervisor/s
David Redding
Science
NHM
david.redding@nhm.ac.uk
Kate Jones
Genetics, Evolution and Environment (GEE)
UCL
kate.e.jones@ucl.ac.uk
Supervision balance
80:20