Dr. Neil Adger is a preeminent scholar and globally recognized authority in human geography with specialized expertise in climate change vulnerability and adaptation. He currently holds the position of Professor of Human Geography at the University of Exeter where he leads groundbreaking research and mentors the next generation of environmental scholars. Born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland in 1964, Adger completed his formative academic training at the University of Edinburgh (MA Economics), Wye College at the University of London (MSc Agricultural Economics), and earned his PhD from the University of East Anglia in 1998 with a dissertation on social vulnerability to climate change in Vietnam. His distinguished career has been defined by a rigorous interdisciplinary approach that bridges social sciences with environmental research to address critical global challenges.
Professor Adger's seminal contributions have fundamentally reshaped understanding of how social conditions, cultural contexts, and institutional frameworks determine human vulnerability to climate change and capacity for adaptation. His research has garnered extraordinary scholarly recognition with over 140,000 citations as of 2024, establishing him as one of the most influential voices in climate adaptation studies. Through extensive fieldwork in vulnerable regions including Vietnam and Bangladesh, he has pioneered theoretical frameworks that illuminate the complex relationship between social structures and environmental change, particularly regarding coastal vulnerability and climate-induced migration patterns. These insights have proven invaluable for developing more effective, equitable climate adaptation policies that account for diverse social dimensions across different cultural contexts.
Adger has played a pivotal role in shaping international climate policy through his service as a Co-ordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, contributing significantly to landmark assessment reports in 2001 and 2007. His collaborative research methodology has fostered numerous international partnerships that synthesize diverse case studies and data to generate robust, policy-relevant insights about climate vulnerability across different socioeconomic contexts. Currently, Professor Adger leads innovative research examining the social and psychological consequences of climate adaptation measures, including his recent work on the impacts of planned relocation in response to sea level rise. As the global climate crisis intensifies, his interdisciplinary perspective remains critically important for developing holistic adaptation strategies that address both environmental imperatives and social justice considerations in an increasingly climate-vulnerable world.
