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

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 2023[1], 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 2050[2]. 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): 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.

“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.”
Julia d’Astorg Head of the AXA Research Fund

“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.”
Marie Bogataj Global Head of Communications, CSR and ESG Development at AXA IM

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 carbon[3], and Dr Floor Van Der Hilst, from the Utretch University, for her work on the dynamics of land use change resulting from biomass production[4]. To find out more about how the AXA IM Research Award supported their work, click here.

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.

Learn more on Dr Haque's research in this video.

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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

Read the Press Release