K (Katharina) Seeger

I am a geographer studying flood hazards and risks, mainly in low-lying river deltas and coastal plains but also in (hyper-)arid environments. The beauty of the Earth, its diverse landscapes being shaped by natural processes and human interactions, has fascinated me ever since. Seeing also the challenges of climate change with an increasing population at risk, it is my motivation to improve our understanding of natural hazards and risks, particularly in data-poor regions. In this way, I aim to contribute to generate a sound basis for sustainable risk mitigation and adaptation strategies. We can – and have the responsibility to – find ways to live in harmony with nature without risking the safeguarding of the planet and the people living on it.

In my PhD research in Physical Geography at the University of Cologne, I focus on the causalities between sea levels, delta flooding and societal activities in the Ayeyarwady Delta (Myanmar). Using remote sensing, I study hazards such as monsoon floodings and storm surges as well as relative sea-level rise. Here, my expertise is the work on land elevation data. Further investigations include studies of natural and anthropogenic driving mechanisms of delta flooding and relative sea-level rise. All studies are in close cooperation with human-geographical disciplines to develop strategic adaptive pathways for future risk mitigation.

In my BSc and MSc studies of Geography, Biology, and Agricultural Sciences at the Universities of Cologne and Bonn, I focused on nature conservation and natural hazard research. Various university courses and an internship at the nature conservation centre and headquarters of the BUND Baden-Württemberg in Radolfzell accompanied my curiosity about nature and biodiversity. In my work as a student and research assistant in the Physical Geographical and Luminescence laboratories at the University of Cologne, I was involved into numerous research projects and obtained expertise in studying natural hazards and processes with various sedimentological, geomorphological, and luminescence dating techniques.

In my final theses, I specialised on flood hazards in coastal Myanmar and the Andean Precordillera (Northern Chile) using multi-method approaches of sedimentology, geochronology, and remote sensing.

It is my motivation to share knowledge and expertise and to encourage interdisciplinarity and the dialogue with practitioners and decision makers. Engagement in teaching and as Young Professional in the German Committee for Disaster Risk Reduction thus constitute further foci besides research.