Christine Heinzel

Since October 2024, I am a PhD candidate in the 'Human-Environment Research' working group and a member of the Research Training Group ‘Ecological Regime Shifts and Systemic Risk in Coupled Social-Ecological Systems (ECORISK).’ I hold both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Geography from the University of Bonn. During my studies and professional experiences at institutions like the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC), the Centre for Development Research (ZEF), and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), I focused on climate adaptation, resilience-building strategies, and health geography. My work as a research associate at the Institute for Environment and Human Security at the United Nations University (UNU-EHS) in Bonn and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich further deepened my interest in these areas.
As part of an ECORISK sub-project at Osnabrück University, I am currently investigating how farmers' perceptions of hydroclimatic uncertainties and risks shape agricultural decision-making in Lower Saxony. In my Master’s thesis, I modeled the use of small water reservoirs in Thuringia to mitigate potential crop losses from drought, highlighting the critical role of local climate adaptation strategies. My PhD research builds on this work through close collaboration with agricultural stakeholders to identify their challenges and co-develop practical, resilience-enhancing solutions.

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