Geography at Durham

I'm looking foward to heading to Paris next week to celebrate the World Day for Glaciers and World Water Day 2026, with events taking place online and in-person at UNESCO HQ. I'll be speaking about resource security in a side event on 'Cryosphere in Crisis: Pathways for a Safe and Just Future' (1/3)

Kangerlussuaq fjord

SE Greenland coast

Down at the APPG Polar Regions meeting at Westminster yesterday to discuss UK research in Greenland. Thanks to Kelly Hogan and George Freeman MP for the invite. @geogdurham.bsky.social @bas.ac.uk

On March 17th we are hosting a launch event in the Department for @penelopeanthias.bsky.social film Urukurenda: In Search of the Land Without Evil (Ĩvĩ Maraëï). The film was made with residents of Urukurenda in support of their struggle to gain legal personhood as a Guaraní Indigenous community.

Urukurenda: In Search of the Land Without Evil (Ĩvĩ Maraëï) YouTube video by Penelope Anthias

Urukurenda is available open access (free) with a choice of English or Spanish subtitles: youtube.com/watch?v=6OsK... (ENG SUBS)
youtube.com/watch?v=62lX... (ESP SUBS). Feel free to make use of it for teaching! Please share!

A map of the world showing swirling clouds above the continents of North America, South America, Africa and Europe. Text on the image reads: "Our Business, Geography, and Law experts contribute to the annual UN Climate Summit (COP)".

Did you know that we've contributed expertise on climate science, national climate targets, ocean protection, tipping points, gender and human rights at the UN Climate Summit (COP)? Our COP team includes experts from our Law and Business schools, and @geogdurham.bsky.social 👉 tinyurl.com/59x3c2a2

Professor Cheryl McEwan's new research project 'Plants out of place: entanglements with ‘invasive weeds’ in the Anthropocene' is featured in the latest Leverhulme Trust newsletter, in which she outlines its aims, scope and methods:

Warm ocean water, not air temperature, drove massive Antarctic ice retreat after the last ice age  - British Antarctic Survey A new study concludes that warm ocean water was the primary driver of major West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat since the end of the last ice age 18,000 years ago.

Congratulations to our colleagues @erinmcclimate.bsky.social and Charlotte Spencer-Jones on the publication of their co-authored article in Nature Communications ‘Ocean heat forced West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat after the Last Glacial Maximum’: www.bas.ac.uk/news/warm-oc...

The ‘demographic timebomb’: a ticking clock, or has it detonated already? By Hannah Taylor (Durham University)

In 'The ‘demographic timebomb’: a ticking clock, or has it detonated already?', Hannah Taylor of Durham University explores the causes, consequences, and policy responses to global population ageing

routesjournal.org/2026/01/27/t... @durham.ac.uk @geogdurham.bsky.social

Territories of Life - University of Alberta Press Territories of Life highlights the multiplicity and heterogeneity of worlds and collectives, some labelled Indigenous, as they struggle to sustain their terr...

New publication! Territories of Life: Equivocations, Entanglements, Endurances, co-edited by Mario Blaser, Sylvie Poirier and myself ualbertapress.ca/978177212825...

New BBC article on the families forced to move hundreds of miles for a home - here, from London to County Durham

🗞️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This week I was @geogdurham.bsky.social talking about my new book + the unhoming and forced migrations so synonymous with life in England today.

🌎 World Water Day 2026: Water and Gender 💧

How does gender shape water access, governance, cooperation and sustainability worldwide?

Join us online on Monday 23rd March 2026 for this special event hosted by @ihrr.bsky.social & @geogdurham.bsky.social at @durham.ac.uk. 🧵👇

@un-water.bsky.social

A glacier in the foreground with snowcapped mountains in the background and a blue sky.

It’s tempting to see advancing ice as an antidote to the gloom of disappearing glaciers, but the polar opposite is true, write Prof Chris Stokes @geogdurham.bsky.social and Dr Harold Lovell, University of Portsmouth. Find out more 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/research/cur...

WE’RE HIRING! Please spread the word 📣
Prof. Cheryl McEwan is looking for a 30-month Postdoctoral Research Associate to support “Plants out of place: entanglements with ‘invasive weeds’ in the Anthropocene”. Start date 1 September. Application deadline 6 April durham.taleo.net/careersectio...

We are looking forward to welcoming @josepchanza.bsky.social to the department on March 11th for a talk on his newly published book 'Women Leaders, Queer Faithfuls: Reinventing Religion in Contemporary Spain'. This will be held 14:00-16:00pm in room W414. All welcome!

A blue/green pool of water with a white, icy mountain glacier behind and snow-capped rocks in the background. Text on the image reads "Geographer Dr Caroline Clason has co-authored a UNESCO report on the effect of melting ice on people and planet."

We’re a leading centre for research into glaciers and ice sheets. Recently @carolineclason.bsky.social @geogdurham.bsky.social @durhamglaciology.bsky.social co-authored a major report for the UK National Commission for @unesco.org on the effect of melting ice on people and planet 👉 bit.ly/4r51PMl

Our colleague Gavin Bridge has contributed to the UKERC Annual Review of Energy Policy, co-writing the section on ‘Securing Materials for Clean Power: strategy, geopolitics and implementation’ – based on the critical minerals research that he is currently leading.

Urban resilience in Ancient Mesopotamia: insights into the socioeconomic system of the Bronze and Iron Age Khabur Valley | Antiquity | Cambridge Core Urban resilience in Ancient Mesopotamia: insights into the socioeconomic system of the Bronze and Iron Age Khabur Valley

New paper out 🥳

In "#Urban #resilience in Ancient #Mesopotamia: insights into the socioeconomic system of the Bronze and Iron Age Khabur Valley", we are mapping network metrics of urban dynamics onto #Holling's adaptive cycle.

Full open-access paper here: doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

Our first paper from the 'EPIC' project- 'How will Emperor Penguins Respond to Changing Ice Conditions?'🐧❄️ - is now out. 🎉

My first first-author penguin paper🐧! w co-authors @changingice.bsky.social, Chris Stokes, Melanie Marochov, @ptfretwell.bsky.social, Stéphanie Jenouvrier

tinyurl.com/4635pdwh

@harrietbulkeley.bsky.social of @geogdurham.bsky.social

We are looking forward to welcoming Dr Hashem Abushama (Oxford University) to the Department on February 3rd for an event organised by our Urban Worlds research cluster. Hashem will present on the theme 'Palestine: urban spatial disarticulations, national questions'.

🎓 International students: applications are open for our taught postgraduate scholarships starting September 2026!

✨ Graham Earp Scholarship in Sustainability
✨ Institute of Hazard, Risk & Resilience Scholarship in Risk

💷 £7,000 tuition fee discount
🗓 Deadline: 31 March

tinyurl.com/528p8mrh

@geogdurham.bsky.social Durham Geographers undertaking snow sampling in Norway 🙂⛄️

We are looking forward to welcoming Mark Griffiths (GPS, Newcastle University) to the Department on January 13th (2-4pm, room W010) to speak about his book Checkpoint 300: Colonial Space in Palestine (University of Minnesota Press, 2025) in conversation with Dr. Lauren Martin from Durham Geography.

📢 Excited to advertise a PhD opportunity at @geogdurham.bsky.social and @ihrr.bsky.social generously funded by the Christopher Moyes Memorial Foundation. There are ten projects to select from (two highlighted below), and the deadline is 6th February. Learn more at: www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...

Polar Medal for two Durham glacial geologists We are delighted to announce that Professors Colm O’Cofaigh and Dave Roberts have been awarded the prestigious Polar Medal in the King’s New Year Honours list, which recognises outstanding achievem…

CONGRATULATIONS to @geogdurham.bsky.social's own Dave Roberts and Colm O'Cofaigh who have both been awarded the prestigious Polar Medal by the King in the 2026 New Year's Honours List. Such a well-deserved achievement for two excellent colleagues! ❄️🍾🥂

durhamglaciology.wordpress.com/2025/12/30/p...

Fantastic that a long interview with @ajsecor.bsky.social and I is the cover story for the January issue of Byline Times - was a pleasure to talk to Hardeep and Peter about the ideas in the The Politics of Feeling! @bylinetimes.bsky.social
@peterjukes.bsky.social @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social

Mauritius - The People's Map of Global China Since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1972, China and Mauritius have generally maintained a stable and cooperative relationship. While Mauritius has not formally joined the Belt an...

Check out this contribution to the People's Map of Global China written by our PhD student Sheng Xuan who critically explores the motivations for and impacts of China's growing presence in Mauritius: thepeoplesmap.net/country/maur...

Routledge Handbook of Wildlife Crime The Routledge Handbook of Wildlife Crime provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview of wildlife crime in its various forms. The effects of wildlife crime and overexploitation are contribu...

Check out newly published Handbook of Wildlife Crime with starting premise of taking a critical approach to researching/understanding wildlife crime. With most wonderful coeditors @ahubschle.bsky.social R. Wong L. Gutierrez T. Wyatt & contributors
@geogdurham.bsky.social @pollenetwork.bsky.social

Earth’s frozen regions are sending a clear warning about climate change – but politicians are ignoring it - Durham University

The science is clear on glacier change – and the perils of ignoring it are even clearer. Read more from Prof Chris Stokes @geogdurham.bsky.social and colleagues on how efforts to downplay the latest scientific findings are “alarming” 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/research/cur...

Join us for the first of a new annual series celebrating and exploring the cultural histories of the North East through the lens of an artist's work. This workshop will focus on the work of Audrey Amiss, in conversation with Dr Robin Finlay, Dr Caroline Mitchell and artist Lyn Killeen.