How Can We Redefine Natural Hazards Through Societal and Health Responses?

Kelley De Polt
Profile Picture of - Kelley De Polt

Kelley De Polt

Abstract information

In this video, KELLEY DE POLT argues for a more integrated understanding of natural hazards by linking extreme heat events with societal interest and public health impacts. Focusing on Germany, she uses climate data, media trends, and health records to identify the duration of heatwaves that trigger the strongest societal responses. Her work highlights the need to move beyond hazard-only definitions and adopt a systemic, interdisciplinary approach to risk.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101203

Researcher

Kelley De Polt is a doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and PhD candidate at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where she is part of the Water and Climate Risk program. Her work focuses on compound climate extremes, particularly the interactions between drought and heatwaves, and their socio-environmental impacts. She holds a Master’s in Geography from East Carolina University and a Bachelor’s in Meteorology from North Carolina State University, with additional training in GIS and computer programming. Prior to her PhD, she contributed to climate risk research at NCICS and the State Climate Office of North Carolina.

Institution information

Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry

The research is dedicated to the study of global biogeochemical cycles and their long-term interactions with the biosphere, the atmosphere, the geosphere and the entire climate system. We want to better understand how living organisms - including humans - exchange basic resources such as water, carbon, nitrogen and energy with their environment and how this affects global climate and ecosystems. Biogeochemistry is the science of the Earth's metabolism. Elements essential to life such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorus are constantly undergoing biological, chemical and physical transformations as they are exchanged between different parts of the Earth, the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere. The "biogeochemical cycles" quantitatively describe the distribution and exchange of elements between these components of the Earth system.

Original Publication

Official heat warnings miss situations with a detectable societal heat response in European countries

Ekaterina Bogdanovich,

Alexander Brenning,

Markus Reichstein,

Kelley De Polt,

Lars Guenther,

Published in

Quantifying impact-relevant heatwave durations

Kelley De Polt,

Philip J. Ward,

Marleen de Ruiter,

Ekaterina Bogdanovich,

Markus Reichstein,

Published in

Book Recommendation

Disasterology

Samantha Montano

Part memoir, part expert analysis, Disasterology is a personal and insightful account of a country unprepared for today’s disasters and those ahead. Dr. Montano, a disaster researcher, examines why disasters aren’t inevitable, how they can be managed, and why prevention and recovery often fail marginalized communities. Drawing on major disasters, including COVID-19, she highlights the impact of decision-making, media, and climate change, offering strategies to better prepare for and respond to future crises. Accessible and urgent, this book is essential for understanding and improving disaster management.

Citation

Kelley De Polt, 

Latest Thinking, 

How Can We Redefine Natural Hazards Through Societal and Health Responses?, 

https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101203, 

Credits:

© Kelley De Polt 

and Latest Thinking

This work is licensed under CC-BY 4.0