People & Partners

Dr Joy Waddell is a human geographer and disaster risk scientist who is interested in applying inclusive and collaborative governance thinking to enhance the resilience of people and ecosystems, particularly in the global South and contexts of deep informality and weak governance. Her research aims to understand how polycentric, anticipatory governance can strengthen the resilience of complex social-ecological systems in the face of climate change, disaster risk, and uncertainty. Joy completed her PhD in Environmental and Geographical Science at the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and her MSc in Disasters, Adaptation, and Development at King’s College London (UK). Her previous research has explored disaster risk reduction in contexts of urban informality, aiming to identify the barriers and opportunities for a more inclusive disaster governance approach. Joy has previously worked as a researcher with the CST on the USAID Resilient Waters Program, with the Research Alliance for Disaster and Risk Reduction (RADAR) at Stellenbosch University, and as a climate risk specialist at the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) in Thailand.

Postgraduate student research that Joy has supervised includes:

• Climate change adaptation and nature-based solutions within mine closure and rehabilitation strategies.
• Gendered impacts of disasters on the livelihoods of fisherwomen.
• Community resilience and the impact of food aid during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Community-based rural water supply systems.
• Community and local management and use of transboundary water.
• Disaster risk preparedness of schools and hospitals.