Urban and Social Geography
The main research focus of the working group is on metropolitan and megacity research with a focus on the following topics: Urbanisation dynamics, governability/controllability and governance, informality, conflict and risk research, and urban health.
The regional focus is on Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia), India and China.
Other research interests include social, cultural and ethnogeography (minorities, migration and social coherence).
News
Leopoldina Workshop
The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, in collaboration with the Academy of Sciences of South Africa, organised an international workshop on the topic of “Climate Change and Mental Health: Comparative Risk Pathways, Vulnerability, and Resilience”, which formed part of the joint ASSAf-Leopoldina project series on “Climate Change and Health”. The workshop took place from 8 to 10 September 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa; Prof. Kraas served as Scientific Co-Lead, alongside other colleagues. Further information and details can be found here.
Prof. Kraas on the ‘Nusantara’ smart city project (20 August 2026)
“Indonesia’s new capital: Smart City Nusantara is making only slow progress”. This is the headline of the article in the Tagesspiegel dated 20 August 2026. In this article, Prof. Kraas shares information on the development of the project, as well as assessments of its significance and context. The article is available here, but only to subscribers and in german language.
“From Planetary Change to Psychological Impact: Understanding and Responding to the Mental Health Effects of Climate Change”
On 9 June 2026, Prof. Kraas discussed the effects of climate change on mental health with Prof. Tholene Sodi and Prof. Simone Kühn at the Leopoldina’s International Virtual Panel. A recording of the discussion is available here.
Dr. Prill Award of the GfE 2026
Our research assistant, Lina Harmuth, has been awarded this year’s Dr Prill Prize by the GfE. In her bachelor’s thesis on inclusive disaster management, she focuses on a target group that has so far received little attention in the field of disaster prevention. She presented her research findings in a vivid and engaging talk on 10 July 2026 during the graduation ceremony. We congratulate her warmly on this award!
MYrisk (BMFTR): Flyers with recommendations in the event of natural disasters
As part of the third-party funded project MYrisk (BMFTR), new flyers have been created that provide recommendations for actions to take in the event of natural hazards such as cyclones, earthquakes, evacuations, floods, heatwaves and pandemics. The flyers are specific to Myanmar, but some of the information is also applicable to other regions. Click here to view the flyers.
You can find previous news releases here.
Administrator of the of the working group website: Dorina Kley