The Chair of Urban Climate Resilience is researching the question of how to design climate-resilient municipalities (cities, communities, districts). In this context, climate resilience refers to reducing social vulnerability and to strengthening social resilience in dealing with the consequences of climate change.

Climate resilience combines measures to adapt to the consequences of climate change (adaptation) and to combat its causes (mitigation). For municipalities, efforts must focus on those social groups most vulnerable, such as the elderly, chronically ill, and the socio-economically marginalised. Fundamentally, climate resilience entails the search for new forms of coexistence and economic activity that sustain the well-being of all while preserving the conditions of our common livelihood on earth.

At the Chair for Urban Climate Resilience, Prof. Dr. Markus Keck and his team are currently working on the following three core areas:

1. Urban environments: What forms of social marginalization and ecological pollution are currently shaping municipalities? How can cities be reconceptualised in such a way that protects all inhabitants from the impacts of extreme weather events and strengthens healthy environments?
2. Climate and conflicts: Which social lines of conflict are intensified by the current climate crisis and which political powers profit from this? How can social structures be developed that prevent violent conflict, foster social coherence, and enable the maintenance of our democracy?
3. Urban food systems: What social structures shape current food systems and what are the ecological consequences? How can urban food systems be transformed so that all people have sufficient access to healthy and sustainable food?

The Chair of Urban Climate Resilience is an active part of the Institute of Geography at the University of Augsburg.