Oakes, Robert
Senior Researcher
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- INSTITUTE:
- UNU-EHS
- OFFICE:
- Environment and Migration: Interactions and Choices Section (EMIC)
- E-MAIL:
- oakes@ehs.unu.edu
- PHONE:
- +44-(0)-7846-980-728
- NATIONALITY:
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Research Interests
- Agent Based Modelling
- Climate Change
- Environmentally Related Migration
Education
- PhD: Geography, Understanding and Modelling Hurricane Evacuation, University of Sussex
- MA., Environment, Development and Policy, University of Sussex
- BA., Modern History and Economics, University of Manchester
Biographical Statement
Dr. Robert Oakes is a Research Associate at UNU-EHS. He investigates population movements related to environmental risk, climate change and disasters. Specifically he researches the subjective, or personal understandings people have of risk, the impact of social networks and how these can translate into community level movements.
He takes a multidisciplinary approach as his doctorate is in Geography but his research includes theories and methods from Economics, Complexity, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropoolgy. His doctorate from the University of Sussex used Q method and Agent Based Modelling to investigate evacuation flows from Galveston in the lead up to Hurricane Ike in 2008. He used Q method to show that a variety of factors can influence the decision to stay and weather the storm, thus demonstrating the need for a wider understanding of what is termed “rational” behavior. He also used an Agent Based Model to investigate the impact of social networks or peer pressure on community level evacuation, demonstrating the utility of this innovative method for studying climate related movements.
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Articles
- Lakeman, Silvana and Oakes, Robert (2022). A Climate of Cooperation or Competition? UNHCR, IOM and Disaster Displacement. Journal of International Organizations Studies (JIOS), 2(10), 109-130
- Hermans, Kathleen, Berger, Elisabeth, Biber-Freudenberger, Lisa, Bossenbroek, Lisa, Ebeler, Laura, Groth, Juliane, Hack, Jochen, Hanspach, Jan, Hintz, Kendisha Soekardjo, Kimengsi, Jude Ndzifon, Kwong, Yim Ming Connie, Oakes, Robert, Pagogna, Rafaella, Plieninger, Tobias, Sterly, Harald, van der Geest, Kees, van Vliet, Jasper and Wiederkehr, Charlotte (2021). Crisis-induced disruptions in place-based social-ecological research ‐ an opportunity for redirection. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 30(2), 72-76
- Oakes, Robert D. (2019). Culture, climate change and mobility decisions in Pacific Small Island Developing States. Population and Environment, 40(4), 480-503
Book Chapters
- Oakes, Robert, van der Geest, Kees and Corendea, Cosmin, “Any Port in a Storm? Climate, Mobility, and Choice in Pacific Small Island Developing States” in Climate Refugees: Global, Local and Critical Approaches, ed. Kent, Avidan and Behrman, Simon (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022), 249-260.
- Oakes, Robert, Banerjee, Soumyadeep and Warner, Koko, “Chapter 9: Human mobility and adaptation to environmental change” in World Migration Report 2020, ed. McAuliffe, Marie and Khadria, Binod (Geneva: International Organization for Migration, 2019), 252-269.
- Mechler, Reinhard, Calliari, Elisa, Bouwer, Laurens, Schinko, Thomas, Surminski, Swenja, Linnerooth-Bayer, JoAnne, Aerts, Jeroen, Botzen, Wouter, Boyd, Emily, Deckard, Natalie, Fuglestvedt, Jan, González-Eguino, Mikel, Haasnoot, Marjolijn, Handmer, John, Haque, Masroora, Heslin, Alison, Hochrainer-Stigler, Stefan, Huggel, Christian, Huq, Saleemul, James, Rachel, Jones, Richard, Juhola, Sirkku, Keating, Adriana, Kienberger, Stefan, Kreft, Soenke, Kuik, Onno, Landauer, Mia, Laurien, Finn, Lawrence, Judy, Lopez, Ana, Liu, Wei, Magnuszewski, Piotr, Markandya, Anil, Mayer, Benoit, McCallum, Ian, McQuistan, Colin, Meyer, Lukas, Mintz-Woo, Kian, Montero-Colbert, Arianna, Mysiak, Jaroslav, Nalau, Johanna, Noy, Ilan, Oakes, Robert, Otto, Friederike, Pervin, Mousumi, Roberts, Erin, Schaefer, Laura, Scussolini, Paolo, Serdeczny, Olivia, De Sherbinin, Alex, Simlinger, Florentina, Sitati, Asha, Sultana, Saibeen, Young, Hannah, Van der Geest, Kees, Van den Homberg, Marc, Wallimann-Helmer, Ivo, Warner, Koko and Zommers, Zinta, “Science for loss and damage. Findings and propositions” in Loss and Damage from Climate Change Concepts, Methods and Policy Options, ed. Mechler, Reinhard, Bouwer, Laurens, Schinko, Thomas, Surminski, Swenja and Linnerooth-Bayer, JoAnne (Cham: Springer, 2019), 3-37.
- Heslin, Alison, Deckard, Natalie, Oakes, Robert and Montero-Colbert, Arianna, “Displacement and Resettlement: Understanding the Role of Climate Change in Contemporary Migration” in Loss and Damage from Climate Change Concepts, Methods and Policy Options, ed. Mechler, Reinhard, Bouwer, Laurens, Schinko, Thomas, Surminski, Swenja and Linnerooth-Bayer, JoAnne (Cham: Springer, 2018), 237-258.
Reports
- O',Connor, Jack, Eberle, Caitlyn, Narvaez, Liliana, Higuera Roa, Oscar, Oakes, Robert, Sparkes, Edward and Sebesvari, Zita (2022). Interconnected Disaster Risks. United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).
- Byrne, Jasmina, Bergmann, Jonas, Cazabat, Christelle, Colón, Cristina, Duca, Iulia, Ferris, Elizabeth, Healy, Laura, Rigaud, Kanta K., Manccini Pinheiro, Giulia, Martin, Susan, Méndez Barquero, Juan C., Nielsen, Anja, Oakes, Robert, Ober, Kayly, Passarelli, David, Rees, Nicholas, Scissa, Chiara and Szaboova, Lucy (2022). Guiding Principles for Children on the Move in the Context of Climate Change. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- Pegram, Joni and Oakes, Robert (2017). No Place to Call Home: Protecting Children’s Rights when the Changing Climate Forces them to Flee. UNICEF UK.
- Oakes, Robert, Milan, Andrea, Campbell, Jillian, Warner, Koko and Schindler, Markus (2017). CLIMATE CHANGE AND MIGRATION IN THE PACIFIC: Links, attitudes, and future scenarios in Nauru, Tuvalu, and Kiribati. United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security.
- Madgwick, F. Jane, Oakes, Robert, Pearce, Fred and Tharme, Rebecca (2017). Watershocks: Wetlands and Human Migration in the Sahel. Wetlands International.
- Campbell, Jillian, Oakes, Robert and Milan, Andrea (2016). Nauru: Climate Change and Migration – Relationships Between Household Vulnerability, Human Mobility and Climate Change. United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security.
- Oakes, Robert, Milan, Andrea and Campbell, Jillian (2016). Kiribati: Climate Change and Migration – Relationships Between Household Vulnerability, Human Mobility and Climate Change. United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security.
- Milan, Andrea, Oakes, Robert and Campbell, Jillian (2016). Tuvalu: Climate Change and Migration: Relationships Between Household Vulnerability, Human Mobility and Climate Change. United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security.
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- Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Evidence for Policy (MECLEP)
- Pacific Climate Change and Migration (PCCM)
- Sustainable Integrated Management FOR the NEXUS of water-land-food-energy-climate for a resource-efficient Europe (SIM4NEXUS)
- Low-carbon society: an enhanced modelling tool for the transition to sustainability LOCOMOTION
- E-Learning: Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change (E-HM3C)
- ‘CRoss-sEcToral planning decisIoN-maKing platform to foster climate Action’ — ‘RethinkAction’