Southern Cross University academic appointed Lead Author for UN climate report

Dr de Rivera has been selected to contribute to Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Specifically, she will help update the IPCC Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. First published in 1994, these are being revised to reflect contemporary challenges.

This standalone product of AR7 will provide governments, practitioners, and policymakers with robust tools, indicators, and methodologies to plan and implement effective climate adaptation strategies.

“My research focuses on climate change and disaster risk education – how schools, communities, and young people understand and adapt to climate challenges,” Dr de Rivera said.

“That perspective – grounded in real, contextual experiences and diverse knowledges, from classrooms to flood-affected communities like Lismore – is what I bring into the work with the IPCC.”

The AR7 report will underpin how nations and institutions worldwide approach climate change from 2030 onwards. The IPCC’s seventh assessment cycle will incorporate diverse sources of literature and knowledge, including those of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Dr de Rivera’s appointment follows a highly competitive process. Out of 3,771 nominations worldwide, just 664 authors were chosen, a testament to her expertise and the global relevance of her research.

Work on AR7 will formally begin in December 2025, with the first author meeting to be held in Paris. Over the next five years, Dr de Rivera will collaborate with an international team of researchers, contributing to one of the most significant scientific undertakings of the decade.

“This report will cascade across every level of governance, from the UN to local councils, shaping how the world responds to the climate crisis,” she said.

“To play a role in that is both daunting and profoundly exciting.”