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IMI MIRA, Dr Ben Ashby, has been awarded £10,000 following his application to the University’s Policy Support Fund.  Congratulations to Ben!

The money will fund a MIRI (Mathematical Innovation Research Intern) to work alongside Ben on the project Enhancing Landslide Early Warning Systems and Policy with Advanced Mathematical Methods.  

Landslides, increasingly triggered by deforestation and climate change, pose significant risks to communities. CEMADEN, Brazil’s National Centre for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters, is tasked with issuing early warnings for hazards like landslides, which claim dozens of lives annually. In February 2023, heavy rainfall in São Paulo killed over 40 people and displaced hundreds, highlighting the urgent need to improve landslide predictions. As climate change and deforestation continue to increase the frequency of such events, the enhancement of CEMADEN’s early warning system is critical. CEMADEN has amassed large amounts of data across the country to evaluate these risks. This project, in collaboration with CEMADEN, will establish a data-driven framework to enhance the analysis of landslide risk. The insights gained will inform the improvement of CEMADEN’s early warning system, helping to protect lives and shape more effective policies for disaster prevention and response.