Wan-Yu Shih
Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience, International College, National Taiwan University.
Dr. Wan-Yu Shih is an Associate Professor of the Master Program in Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience at National Taiwan University, and the Director of the Taipei GR Lab. Her research interests lie in the interdisciplinary nature of ecological planning of cities for tackling socio-environmental challenges. Her current research explores inequality in heat adaptation of subtropical dense cities, looking at the complicated interplay between green spaces, ecosystem services, and socio-economic features and its implications for climate justice. Previously, she was a JSPS-UNU postdoctoral researcher in the Sustainable Urban Future programme at United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies in Japan, where she worked to address climate change and biodiversity loss through local land use planning and governance. She has established inter- to trans-disciplinary research activities in cities, such as Taipei, Glasgow (UK), Hanoi (Vietnam), and Durban (South Africa) with funding from prestigious institutions such as JSPS (Japan), MOST/NSTC (Taiwan), ESRC (UK) and Belmont Forum. Dr. Shih is motivated to inform decision-makers with interdisciplinary scientific evidence for promoting nature-based solutions for cities. She has sat on climate change adaptation and spatial planning committees of Taiwan government. She has also formed partnerships with NPOs/NGOs to facilitate green infrastructure mainstreaming in urban development processes.