Walz, Yvonne
Associate Academic Officer
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- INSTITUTE:
- UNU-EHS
- OFFICE:
- Environmental Vulnerability & Ecosystem Services (EVES) Section
- E-MAIL:
- walz@ehs.unu.edu
- PHONE:
- +49-228-815-0232
- NATIONALITY:
- Germany
Research Interests
- Climate change adaptation
- Disaster risk reduction
- ecosystem-based approaches
- Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
Education
- Ph.D., Geographical Remote Sensing and Spatial Epidemiology, University of Würzburg, Department of Remote Sensing, Germany, in close collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, Switzerland
- MSc., Geographical Information Science & Systems (UNIGIS), University of Salzburg, Department of Geoinformatics
- Diploma, Geography, Geology and Botany, University of Würzburg
Appointments
- 2022 to present: Alternate focal point of UNU-EHS in GEO, member of the GEO WG DRR and GEO-LDN initiative
- 2021 to present: UNU-EHS focal point for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
- 2017 to Present: Member of the FEBA (Friends of EbA) Network
- 2017 to Present: Member of the International Advisory Board of the Master program on Climate Change and Human Security (CCHS) of the West African Science Service Center for Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL)
- 2017 to 2019: Member of ZFL Steering Board
- 2016 to present: Member of the Working Group on Natural Hazards and Risks in the German Society for Geography
- 2015 to present: Member of the Joint Academic Board, Joint Master of Science ’Geography of Environmental Risks and Human Security’, University of Bonn, Department of Geography (GIUB) and United Nations University (UNU-EHS)
Biographical Statement
Dr. Yvonne Walz is an Associate Academic Officer in the Environmental Vulnerability and Ecosystem Services (EVES) section of UNU-EHS. She has a broad interest in understanding drivers of risk, identifying ecosystem-based approaches to reduce current and future risks and evaluating adaptation strategies to impacts of climate change. In addition, she conducts research with the specific focus to support countries in monitoring progress towards the implementation of the international frameworks, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, or the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
At UNU-EHS, Dr. Walz has been leading and managing multiple projects in the field of risk and climate change research, ecosystem-based approaches and geospatial modelling to monitor indicators of the Sendai Framework (e.g. CLIMAFRI, VALE, FURIFLOOD, Align-SLM, EviDENz, WASCAL, etc.). She supports the section head in securing third-party funding, and supervises team members, visiting scientists and master students.
In terms of capacity development, Dr. Walz is actively involved in teaching activities of the joint MSc programme on Geography of Environmental Risks and Human Security of UNU-EHS and University of Bonn, at UNU-MERIT and at the WASCAL PhD program on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management in Lomé, Togo. In the context of the CLIMAFRI and VALE projects, in her role as project lead, she conceptualized and designed training of trainers programs based on the overall project results.
Prior to joining UNU-EHS, Dr. Walz worked as a researcher at the University of Würzburg in the Remote Sensing Department (4 years), and at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promoting Water Management and Risk Communication at the University Clinics in Bonn (3 years), where she gained work experience in analysing socio-ecological systems in the context of environment and human health. At the Centre for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), she led the health mapping activities within the GMES RESPOND Service Elements of the European Space Agency (ESA), and was involved in crisis intervention and spatial damage assessment. During her work at the Department of Land Information (DLI) in Australia, Dr. Walz conducted research on monitoring of burn severity and the impact of fire management practices in temperate forests of South-Western Australia.
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Articles
- Wetzel, Mario, Schudel, Lorina, Almoradie, Adrian, Komi, Kossi, Adounkpè, Julien, Walz, Yvonne and Hagenlocher, Michael (2022). Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Data-Scarce Environments— Experiences From Combining Impact Chains With Bayesian Network Analysis in the Lower Mono River Basin, Benin. Frontiers in Water, 4, 1-16
- Sudmeier-Rieux, Karen, Arce-Mojica, Teresa, Boehmer, Hans Juergen, Doswald, Nathalie, Emerton, Lucy, Friess, Dan A., Galvin, Stephen, Hagenlocher, Michael, James, Harrhy, Laban, Peter, Lacambra, Carmen, Lange, Wolfram, McAdoo, Brian G., Moos, Christiane, Mysiak, Jaroslav, Narvaez, Liliana, Nehren, Udo, Peduzzi, Pascal, Renaud, Fabrice G., Sandholz, Simone, Schreyers, Louise, Sebesvari, Zita, Tom, Twinkle, Tryanti, Annisa, van Eijk, Pieter, van Staveren, Martjin, Vicarelli, Marta and Walz, Yvonne (2021). Scientific evidence for ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction. Nature Sustainability, 1-8
- Meza, Isabel, Eyshi Rezaei, Ehsan, Siebert, Stefan, Ghazaryan, Gohar, Nouri, Hamideh, Dubovyk, Olena, Gerdener, Helena, Herbert, Claudia, Kusche, Juergen, Popat, Eklavyya, Rhyner, Jakob, Jordaan, Andries, Walz, Yvonne and Hagenlocher, Michael (2021). Drought risk for agricultural systems in South Africa: drivers, spatial patterns, and implications for drought risk management. Science of the Total Environment, 799, n/a-n/a
- Walz, Yvonne, Janzen, Sally, Narvaez, Liliana, Ortiz-Vargas, Andrea, Woelki, Jacob, Doswald, Nathalie and Sebesvari, Zita (2021). Disaster-related losses of ecosystems and their services. Why and how do losses matter for disaster risk reduction?. International Journal for Disaster Risk Reduction, 63(102425), 1-16
- Wagner, Simon, Souvignet, Maxime, Walz, Yvonne, Balogun, Kehinde, Komi, Kossi, Kreft, Soenke and Rhyner, Jakob (2021). When does risk become residual? A systematic review of research on flood risk management in West Africa. Regional Environmental Change, 21(3), 1-18
- Walz, Yvonne, Min, Annika, Dall, Karen, Duguru, Moses, Villagrán de León, Juan Carlos, Graw, Valerie, Dubovyk, Olena, Sebesvari, Zita, Jordaan, Andries and Post, Joachim (2020). Monitoring progress of the Sendai Framework using a geospatial model: The example of people affected by agricultural droughts in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Progress in Disaster Science, 5, 1-12
- Meza, Isabel, Siebert, Stefan, Doell, Petra, Kusche, Juergen, Herbert, Claudia, Eyshi Rezaei, Ehsan, Nouri, Hamideh, Gerdener, Helena, Popat, Eklavyya, Frischen, Janna, Naumann, Gustavo, Vogt, Juergen V, Walz, Yvonne, Sebesvari, Zita and Hagenlocher, Michael (2020). Global-scale drought risk assessment for agricultural systems. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS), 20, 695-712
- Kulinkina, Alexandra V., Sarkar, Rajiv, Mohan, Venkata R., Walz, Yvonne, Kaliappan, Saravanakumar P., Ajjampur, Sitara S.R., Ward, Honorine, Naumova, Elena N. and Kang, Gagandeep (2019). Prediction of hookworm prevalence in southern India using environmental parameters derived from Landsat 8 remotely sensed data. International Journal for Parasitology, 1-8
- Hagenlocher, Michael, Meza, Isabel, Anderson, Carl C., Min, Annika, Renaud, Fabrice G., Walz, Yvonne, Siebert, Stefan and Sebesvari, Zita (2019). Drought vulnerability and risk assessments: state of the art, persistent gaps, and research agenda. Environmental Research Letters, 1-23
- Sebesvari, Zita, Woelki, Jacob, Walz, Yvonne, Sudmeier-Rieux, Karen, Sandholz, Simone, Tol, Susanna, Ruíz García, Verónica, Blackwood, Katherine and Renaud, Fabrice G. (2019). Opportunities for considering green infrastructure and ecosystems in the Sendai Framework Monitor. Progress in Disaster Science, 2, 1-5
- Kulinkina, Alexandra V., Walz, Yvonne, Koch, Magaly, Biritwum, Nana-Kwadwo and Utzinger, Juerg (2018). Improving spatial prediction of Schistosoma haematobium prevalence in southern Ghana through new remote sensors and local water access profiles. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 12(6), 1-22
- Asare-Kyei, Daniel, Renaud, Fabrice G., Walz, Yvonne and Rhyner, Jakob (2017). Development and validation of risk profiles of West African rural communities facing multiple natural hazards. PLoS ONE, 12(3), n/a-n/a
- Graw, Valerie, Ghazaryan, Gohar, Dall, Karen, Delgado Gómez, Andoni, Abdel-Hamid, Ayman, Jordaan, Andries, Piroska, Ruben, Post, Joachim, Szarzynski, Joerg, Walz, Yvonne and Dubovyk, Olena (2017). Drought Dynamics and Vegetation Productivity in Different Land Management Systems of Eastern Cape, South Africa—A Remote Sensing Perspective. Sustainability, 9(10), 1-19
- Walz, Yvonne, Wegmann, Martin, Dech, Stefan, Raso, Giovanna and Utzinger, Jürg (2015). Risk profiling of schistosomiasis using remote sensing: approaches, challenges and outlook. Parasites and vectors, 8(163), 1-16
- Walz, Yvonne, Wegmann, Martin, Dech, Stefan, Vounatsou, Penelope, Poda, Jean-Noël, N',Goran, Eliézer K, Utzinger, Jürg and Raso, Giovanna (2015). Modeling and validation of environmental suitability for schistosomiasis transmission using remote sensing. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 9(11), 1-22
- Walz, Yvonne, Wegmann, Martin, Leutner, Benjamin, Dech, Stefan W, Vounatsou, Penelope, N',Goran, Eliézer K, Raso, Giovanna and Utzinger, Jürg (2015). Use of an ecologically relevant modelling approach to improve remote sensing-based schistosomiasis risk profiling. Geospatial Health, 10(2), 271-279
Book Chapters
- Walz, Yvonne, Asare-Kyei, Daniel, Von Sassen, Stella and Renaud, Fabrice G., “The Need for a Regional Service to Monitor Flood Hazard Events in West Africa” in Regional Climate Change Series: Floods, ed. Adegoke, Jimmy, Sylla, Mouhamadou B., Bossa, Aymar Y., Ogunjobi, Kehinde and Adounkpe, Julien (Accra: WASCAL, 2019), 20-34.
- Graw, Valerie, Dubovyk, Olena, Duguru, Moses, Heid, Paul, Ghazaryan, Gohar, Villagrán de León, Juan Carlos, Post, Joachim, Szarzynski, Joerg, Tsegai, Daniel and Walz, Yvonne, “Assessment, monitoring, and early warning of droughts: the potential for satellite remote sensing and beyond” in Drought Challenges – Policy Options for Developing Countries, In: Current Directions in Water Scarcity Research, ed. Mapedza, Everisto, Tsegai, Daniel, Bruntrup, Michael and McLeman, Robert (Amsterdam: Elsevier Ltd, 2019), 115-131.
- Triyanti, Annisa, Walz, Yvonne, Marfai, Muhammad Aris, Renaud, Fabrice and Djalante, Riyanti, “Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia: Unfolding Challenges and Opportunities” in Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia – Progress, Challenges, and Issues, ed. Djalante, Riyanti, Garschagen, Matthias, Thomalla, Frank and Shaw, Rajib (Basel: Springer International Publishing AG, 2017), 445-467.
Conference Proceedings
- Graw, Valerie, Ghazaryan, Gohar, Schreier, Jonas, González, Javier, Abdel-Hamid, Ayman, Walz, Yvonne, Dall, Karen, Post, Joachim, Jordaan, Andries J. and Dubovyk, Olena ed. Timing is Everything – Drought Classification for Risk Assessment 2018/07/22-27 Valencia. Valencia: IEEE, 2019.
Reports
- Walz, Yvonne, Janzen, Sally, Narvaez, Liliana, Ortiz-Vargas, Andrea, Woelki, Jacob, Doswald, Natalie and Sebesvari, Zita (2022). A way forward to monitor disaster-related losses of ecosystems and ecosystem services in the Sendai Framework Monitor. United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).
- Mena Benavides, Melisa, Scheffczyk, Konstantin, Urrutia, Manuel, Huerta, Brenda and Walz, Yvonne (2021). Evaluación del riesgo de inundación en Ecuador. United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).
- Walz, Yvonne, Nick, Florence, Higuera Roa, Oscar, Nehren, Udo and Sebesvari, Zita (2021). Coherence and Alignment among Sustainable Land Management, Ecosystem-based Adaptation, Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Nature-based Solutions. United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security.
- Mena Benavides, Melisa, Scheffczyk, Konstantin, Urrutia, Manuel, Huerta, Brenda and Walz, Yvonne (2021). VALE Flood Risk Assessment for Ecuador. United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).
- O',Connor, Jack, Eberle, Caitlyn, Cotti, Davide, Hagenlocher, Michael, Hassel, Jonathan, Janzen, Sally, Narvaez, Liliana, Newsom, Amy, Ortiz-Vargas, Andrea, Schuetze, Simon, Sebesvari, Zita, Sett, Dominic and Walz, Yvonne (2021). Interconnected Disaster Risks. United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).
- Walz, Yvonne, Dall, Karen, Graw, Valerie, Villagrán de León, Juan Carlos, Haas, Susanne, Kussul, Nataliia and Jordaan, Andries (2018). Understanding and reducing agricultural drought risk: Examples from South Africa and Ukraine. United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security.
- Walz, Yvonne, Haas, Susanne, Greenough, Karen, Forkuor, Gerald, Mück, Matthias, Taubenböck, Hannes, von Sassen, Stella and Renaud, Fabrice G. (2017). Risk Assessment in West Africa: A Handbook for Practitioners. WASCAL Competence Center.
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- West African Science Service Center on Climate Change (WASCAL)
- Enabling knowledge for disaster risk reduction in integration to climate change adaptation (KNOW-4-DRR)
- Development of International Water Quality Guidelines for Ecosystems (IWQGES 2) – Phase 2
- WASCAL consolidation phase
- EvIDENz – Earth Observation based information products for drought risk reduction on the national level
- TelePAtH Tipping Points of Food Security in coupled social-ecological systems of West Africa under Climatic Hazards
- CLIMAFRI – Implementing Climate-sensitive Adaptation strategies to reduce Flood Risk in the transboundary Lower Mono River catchment in Togo and Benin
- VALE – Development and validation of earth observation-based indicators for the monitoring of the Sendai framework using the example of flooding in Ecuador
- Align-SLM: Alignment between ecosystem-based adaptation, ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, nature-based solutions, and sustainable land management
- FURIFLOOD: Current and future risks of urban and rural flooding in West Africa – An integrated analysis and eco-system-based solutions
- Advisory service for the development of a climate analysis and justification for the Resilient Puna Project in Peru