Erin Coughlan

Erin Coughlan de Perez bridges science, policy, and practice in her research on climate risk management around the world. She focuses on extreme events, exploring how droughts, floods, heatwaves, and other climate shocks can be anticipated before they happen. Erin works with humanitarian teams on early warning systems for disasters, and she spearheaded the rise of Anticipatory Action in the humanitarian sector. Erin researches the adoption and effectiveness of climate change adaptation measures.

Erin currently serves as the principal investigator on several global projects, including the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action, an international consortium of seven universities. She also leads a large NASA-funded research project on unprecedented extreme events in the United States, in collaboration with the American Red Cross.

Erin was also a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report. Her chapter is Decision-Making Options for Managing Risk, as part of the Working Group II on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Erin serves as an academic editor for the journal PLOS Climate, and she is on the Council of the American Meteorological Society. She co-chairs the USAID BIFAD Subcommittee on Systemic Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems.

Erin comes to the Center from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, where she built a global climate science team and led the first forecast-based financing pilots in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Erin retains a technical advisor position at the Climate Centre, to maintain links to humanitarian operations around the world. Erin was formerly an associate at Columbia University.

Erin received her Ph.D. from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, her M.A. in climate and society from Columbia University, and her B.S. in environmental science and international development from McGill University.

Erin lives in Boston with her partner and children.

Education

• Master of Arts
  Columbia University, Columbia University, NY, USA 2011
• Bachelor of Science
  McGill University, McGill University, QC, CAN 2009
• Doctor of Philosophy
  VU University, VU University, 0363, NLD

Research Interests:

• Disaster risk management
• Climate change adaptation
• Forecast-based Financing

Courses Taught:

• Climate Change: Risk and Adaptation in Food Systems and Beyond (NUTR0256), Fall Term
• Modeling Climate Extremes (pending), Spring Term