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Olivia Dun, PhD Candidate

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Olivia is a PhD candidate at the School of Geosciences, University of Sydney. Her PhD research is examining what role environmental change plays in migration decisions of people living in areas affected by environmental changes. In particular her PhD focuses on the links between flooding, saline intrusion and migration in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

In addition, Olivia is an Associate Scholar with the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in Bonn, Germany. From 2007 - 2010, Olivia worked as a Research Associate with UNU-EHS on the Environmental Change and Forced Migration Scenarios (EACH-FOR) project funded by the European Commission under its 6th Framework Programme and the Groundwater and Human Security - Case Studies Project.

From 2003 - 2007 Olivia spent four years working for the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs on refugee matters and at the Australian High Commissions in London and Ottawa. Prior to that, she spent two years in Lao PDR as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development working in the field of natural resource management and was also a research assistant at the Australian Mekong Resource Centre (AMRC).

Olivia obtained a Master of Arts (Forced Migration, Asylum and Refugees) degree from Charles Sturt University, Australia and a Bachelor of Science (Environmental) degree from the University of Sydney. She has over 3 years experience conducting research in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Supervisor: Prof. John Connell
Assoc. Supervisor: Prof. Philip Hirsch

School of Geosciences
Madsen Building (F09), Room 478A
Phone: +61 2 9351 6628
Email:

Research Projects

2009 - 2010: Groundwater and Human Security - Case Studies (GWAHS-CS) Project

2007 - 2009: Environmental Change and Forced Migration Scenarios (EACH-FOR) Project, co-financed by the European Commission

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

  • Renaud, F.; Dun, O.; Warner, K.; Bogardi, J. (2010) ‘A decision framework for environmentally induced migration’ International Migration (forthcoming) accepted for publication 21 Jan 2010
  • Dun, O. (2010) ‘Migration and displacement triggered by floods in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’ International Migration (forthcoming) accepted for publication 8 Dec 2009
  • Dun, O.; Gemenne, F. (2008) ‘Defining Environmental Migration’. Forced Migration Review No. 31: 10-11
  • Warner, K.; Dun, O.; Stal, M. (2008) ‘Field observations and empirical research results’ Forced Migration Review No. 31: 13-15

Book Chapters

  • Warner, K.; Afifi, T; Stal, M.; Dun, O. (2009) Researching Environmental Change and Migration: Evaluation of EACH-FOR Methodology and Application in 23 Case Studies Worldwide’ in: Laczko, F. and Aghazarm, C. (Eds) Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Assessing the Evidence. IOM, Geneva
  • Renaud, F.G.; Bogardi, J.J.; Dun, O.; Warner, K.; Afifi, T. (2008): ‘Environmental Migration: An Overview and Policy Recommendations’ In: STOJANOV, R.; NOVOSÁK, J. (eds.) Migration, Development and Environment: Migration Processes from the Perspective of Environmental Change and Development Approach at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle.

Project Reports and Policy Papers

  • Dun, O. (2009) Linkages between flooding, migration and resettlement: Vietnam Case Study Report for the Environmental Change and Forced Migration Scenarios Project, available here
  • Warner, K.; Afifi, T.; Dun, O.; Stal, M. and Schmidl, S. (2008) Human security, climate change, and environmentally induced migration. In: Dokos, T (Ed.); Afifi, T.; Bogardi, J.; Dankelman, I.; Dun, O.; Goodman, D.L.; Huq, S.; Iltus, S.; Pearl, R.; Pettengell, C.; Schmidl, S.; Stal, M. Warner, K.; and Xenarios, S. Climate Change: Addressing the Impact on Human Security. Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), Athens. (This publication is produced as a full report and a ten page policy paper).
  • Renaud, F.G.; Bogardi, J.J.; Dun, O.; Warner, K. (2007) Control, Adapt or Flee: How to Face Environmental Migration? InterSecTions no. 5/2007, United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Bonn.

Newspaper/Bulletin Articles

  • Dun, O.; Fermin, A.; Jaeger, J. (2009) 'Linkages Between Environment and Migration: The EACH-FOR Project and Four Mediterranean Region Case Studies' MIO-ECSDE (Mediterranean Information Office for the Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development) Newsletter No.54:10-12
  • Warner, K.; Afifi, T.; Dun, O.; Stal, M. (2009) ‘Climate Change and Migration: A Reflection on Policy Needs’ MEA (Multilateral Environment Agreement) Bulletin No.61: 1-2
  • Various contributions to briefing papers about climate change, environment & forced migration for the Africa Partnership Forum (APF), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

Conference Presentations

  • 29 June – 1 July 2010
    Presentation “Household Level Adaptation: Saline Intrusion and Migration in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam” given at the 2010 International Climate Change Adaptation Conference ‘Climate Adaptation Futures’: Preparing for the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Gold Coast Conference Centre, Gold Coast, Australia.
  • 9-10 July 2009:
    Presentation “The Environmental Change and Forced Migration Scenarios (EACH-FOR) Project” given at the Climate Change and Migration in the South Pacific Region: Policy Perspectives workshop. Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
  • 17-18 March 2009:
    Co-Coordinator for Topic 1.2 “Water-related Migration, Changing Land Use and Human Settlements” at the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey.
  • 6 December 2008:
    Presentation “Migration and displacement triggered by flood regime change in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam” given at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland during the Fourteenth session of Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • 1-2 December 2008:
    Presentation “Migration as a Potential Climate Change Adaptation Strategy?” given at the Transboundary Water Cooperation Workshop Series: Water Cooperation and Climate Change –The Nile, SADC/Zambezi Basins and the Mekong. Copenhagen, Denmark.
  • 27 November 2008:
    Presentations “Migration and displacement triggered by flooding in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam” & “Cases of Asylum Seekers Arriving by Boat” given at Training Programme on Regional Ocean Governance for Mediterranean and Eastern European Countries. Valletta, Malta.
  • 31 October – 2 November 2008:
    Presentation “Environmental Migration: Searching for Evidence” given at 2008 Euromed Civil Forum, Marseilles, France.
  • 9-11 October 2008:
    Core organiser and presenter “Migration and displacement triggered by flooding events in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam” at the International Conference on Environment, Forced Migration and Social Vulnerability (EFMSV) in Bonn, Germany.
  • 4 July 2008:
    Co-organiser and participant in a Policy Dialogue on Environmentally Induced Migration held at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium.
  • 8-9 May 2008:
    Presentation “Identifying Priorities for Future Research on Environmentally Induced Migration” given at United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) workshop on Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Migration: Preparing for the Future. UN Headquarters, New York, USA.
  • 16-18 April 2008:
    Co-organiser and participant in an expert Research Workshop on Migration and the Environment for migration scholars held in Munich, Germany.
  • 4-5 September 2007:
    Presentation “Applying definitions of environmentally displaced persons in practice” given at the Migration and Development Conference, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic.
  • 12 June 2007:
    Participated in a public discussion event entitled “Environmental Refugees” hosted by the Dana Centre at The Science Museum in London, United Kingdom.
  • 16 May 2007:
    Facilitator at a high-level discussion event “Environmental Refugees: The Forgotten Migrants” at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, USA.
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