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Dr Anika Haque wins the 2023 AXA IM Research Award for her work on the impacts of climate change on urbanised and disadvantaged areas in the global South


AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) and the AXA Research Fund are pleased to announce the winner of the third edition of the AXA IM Research Award. With a call for nominations launched in September 20231, this year’s edition seeked to reward a researcher whose work focuses on the social dimensions of climate change and the conditions for a fairer and more inclusive transition.

The selection committee has decided to award the 2023 edition of the AXA IM Research Award to Dr Anika N. Haque, from the University of York (United-Kingdom). This decision rewards Dr Haque’s work on the exacerbated vulnerability of populations in urbanised and disadvantaged areas of the global South to the consequences of climate change, and on the inclusion of women in the policies and adaptation strategies in that regard.

Resilience to the impacts of climate change in the urban areas of the Global South is a crucial issue, given that it is estimated that almost 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 20502. Integrating women into the adaptation and development approaches is essential to tackle reoccuring and increasing gender inequalities, intensified by poverty and increasing urbanisation. Dr Haque’s multidisciplinary work addresses several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)3: climate action (goal 13), gender equality and reduced inequalities (goals 5 and 10), sustainable cities and communities (goal 11) and energy access (goal 7).

In this regard, Dr Haque is awarded a research grant of €100,000 for her future research.

Julia d’Astorg, Head of the AXA Research Fund, said: “We are delighted to see the award gain recognition year after year. We continue to receive a large number of high quality applications from all over the world. We have decided to reward the work led by Dr Haque for its ability to develop a systematic understanding of the complex adaptation processes at the intersection of the three major challenges of increasing urbanisation, climate change and persistent gender inequalities.

Marie Bogataj, Global Head of Communications, CSR and ESG Development at AXA IM, said: “The third edition of the AXA IM Research Award is part of AXA Group’s support for top tier research on key societal topics. This year, we are proud to support Dr Haque‘s research on developing systematic understanding of the complex climate-adaptation processes of women in low-income-urban-settlements, to ensure their effective inclusion in adaptation policies and strategies within a ‘just’ transition process/es. Dr Haque’s research will play a major role in informing policies and actions for integrating climate-change-adaptation and sustainable development.

This is the third edition of the AXA IM Research Award. The previous two editions awarded Dr Ana Queiros, from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, for her work on blue carbon4, and Dr Floor Van Der Hilst, from the Utretch University, for her work on the dynamics of land use change resulting from biomass production5. To find out more about how the AXA IM Research Award supported their work, click here.

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Notes to editors

1https://www.axa-im.com/press-releases/launch-third-axa-im-research-award-focus-social-dimensions-climate-change

2 https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2022/06/wcr_2022.pdf

3 https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

4https://www.axa-im.com/media-centre/dr-ana-queiros-wins-2022-axa-im-research-award-blue-carbon-nature-based-solution

5https://www.axa-im.com/media-centre/axa-im-and-axa-research-fund-announce-winner-axa-im-climate-transition-award

 

Biography of Dr Anika N. Haque

Assistant Professor in Human Geography and Environment

University of York, United Kingdom

Topic of research: Urban climate change resilience

Dr. Anika Haque is an internationally recognised expert on urban climate change adaptation and climate resilient development.

Dr Haque’s research is interdisciplinary addressing three overlapping global challenges: changing climate, rapid urbanisation and growing inequality. It builds around the theme of urban climate change resilience embracing actions on climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster-risk-reduction while recognizing the complexity of rapidly growing urban areas, growing inequality, development challenges and climate change uncertainty. Her research is grounded in Systems thinking unpacking the complex problems and challenges in the contemporary global South cities in the era of climate change.

Dr Haque has been leading longitudinal research in the global South over the last 15 years and closely engaging with the local stakeholders and decisionmakers with an aim of building a gender inclusive climate resilient urban future.

 


About AXA Investment Managers

AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a responsible asset manager, actively investing for the long term to help its clients, its people and the world to prosper. Our high conviction approach enables us to uncover what we believe to be the best global investment opportunities across alternative and traditional asset classes, managing approximately €842 billion in assets as at the end of September 2023.

AXA IM is a leading investor in green, social and sustainable markets, managing €489 billion of ESG-integrated, sustainable and impact assets as at the end of December 2022. We are committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 across all our assets, and integrating ESG principles into our business, from stock selection to our corporate actions and culture. Our goal is to provide clients with a true value responsible investment solution, while driving meaningful change for society and the environment.

At end of December 2022, AXA IM employs over 2,600 employees around the world, operates out of 24 offices across 18 countries and is part of the AXA Group, a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management.

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About the AXA Research Fund

The AXA Research Fund is AXA Group’s global scientific philanthropy initiative, launched in 2008 to address the most important issues facing our planet. It supports human progress by funding research in key areas related to risk and helping inform public and private decision-making based on science. In line with AXA’s purpose to act for human progress by protecting what matters, the AXA Research Fund’s support is directed towards accelerating transformative research around risk in the areas of health, climate & environment, and socio-economy & new technologies.

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