UNSW researcher chosen as a lead for international climate change report
Associate Professor Negin Nazarian to contribute to IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities
Published on the 07 March 2025
Photo: UNSW Sydney.
Arts, Design & Architecture academic Negin Nazarian has聽been selected as a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)聽.
Associate Professor Nazarian, who is one of only four lead authors from Australian universities, is among 97 specialists who will contribute to the vital publication by the IPCC 鈥撀爐he United Nations body for assessing science related to climate change. The report,聽which is scheduled for release in March 2027, will integrate the latest scientific evidence with practical solutions to address the urgent challenges posed by urban climate change.
The Special Report on Climate Change and Cities is the first IPCC report to focus specifically on cities. The lead authors are meeting in Osaka, Japan, this week (March 10-14).
鈥淭he impact of climate change on cities has been long overlooked or sidelined in climate models,鈥 says A/Prof. Nazarian. 鈥淕iven that most of the world鈥檚 population live in urban areas, it is imperative that we understand cities' impact on regional weather processes and climate change, as well as their role in mitigation and adaptation.
鈥淭he report will be solution- and action-oriented so that it can equip policymakers, urban planners, and communities with the most concise and relevant information needed to address climate challenges in locally meaningful ways. The report will also inform and direct future research by identifying gaps in knowledge and particular vulnerabilities.
鈥淚 am deeply proud to represent UNSW and Australia鈥檚 research and expertise in urban climate on this global scale and look forward to contributing to a report that aims to shape meaningful and actionable strategies for cities worldwide,鈥 says A/Prof. Nazarian.
An award-winning urban climatologist, A/Prof.聽Nazarian evaluates the ways the built environment interacts with the weather and climate, and, in turn, how urban dwellers are affected by this interaction. She is a Scientia Associate Professor at UNSW鈥檚 School of Built Environment, Chief Investigator at the聽聽and a Fellow at the聽.
A/Prof. Nazarian also聽leads the聽聽鈥撀燼 multidisciplinary group focused on pressing challenges of urban heat and air quality issues. Its expertise spans mechanical engineering, climate science, architecture and advanced data analytics.
Internationally, A/Prof. Nazarian is a scientific advisor to the and Chair of the at the American Meteorological Society.