The 5th IRDR Young Scientists Lumos took place virtually on 7 April 2026 under the theme “Economics of Disasters and Climate Change: Addressing Inequalities, Injustices, Marginalization and Vulnerabilities.”  This webinar was co-organized with Beijing Normal University. This workshop aimed to highlight emerging research on the economic drivers and consequences of disaster risk and climate change, and to examine how inequalities and vulnerabilities are produced, reinforced, or reduced through economic systems and policy choices.

Although a disaster will take place in a large region, its effect is largely dependent on the interplay between the local income level, infrastructure accessibility, government regulations, and the current social inequalities, determining the regions’ degree of exposure to disasters and their resilience afterward. Professor Ilan Noy initiated the topic by focusing on inequalities in losses by extreme weather events and climate change.

The presented studies examined inequality from multiple connected viewpoints. Dr. Yongsheng Yang illustrated how infrastructure damage during Typhoon Yagi caused a varying effect to different populations, demonstrating how people’s tolerance with service interruptions and changes in mobility differed across differences in income, age, home ownership, vehicle ownership, and previous disaster experience.  Chrysoula Chitou evaluated the interconnection between political stewardship, institutional framework, and national climate readiness. Dr. Zheng Tao Zhang spoke on heat poverty, exemplifying how extreme temperatures destroy people's livelihoods, amplify poverty, and disseminate economic impacts through global supply chains. Dr. Cristhian Prieto assessed the impacts of cyclones on workers’ mental health and highlighted the importance of the direct effects of disaster exposure and its insidious effect through income loss for vulnerable groups.

Conclusively, the research studies indicates that disaster impacts extend beyond physical destruction. Access to essential services, mobility, poverty, employment, and psychological well-being are also factors strongly affected. Through integrating economic analysis and social vulnerability, the workshop contributed to the Priority 2 “Addressing inequalities, injustices, marginalisation and vulnerabilities” proposed in the global DRR research agenda and  advocated for advancing knowledge on the social construction and distribution of risk and promoting inclusive, equitable approaches to risk reduction and climate action.

Speakers:

Professor Ilan Noy — Victoria University of Wellington

Keynote Speech

Title: Inequities in Climate Change Losses and Damages, in the Responses to Them, and in Climate Adaptation — Some Examples

Dr. Yongsheng Yang — Beijing Normal University

Title: Revealing Disparities in Societal Impact of Infrastructure Service Disruptions: A Case Study of Typhoon Yagi in China

Chrysoula Chitou — University of Ioannina

Title: “Do Good Captains Make Good Voyages?” Political Leadership and Climate Readiness

Dr. Zhengtao Zhang — Beijing Normal University

Title: Heat Poverty: The Hidden Cost of Rising Temperatures

Dr. Cristhian Prieto — Victoria University of Wellington

Title: The Effect of Cyclones on Workers’ Mental Health