Dr Caridad Ballesteros is a coastal risk and climate change researcher with expertise in sea-level rise, adaptation strategies, and social vulnerability assessment. With a PhD in Marine Science from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Spain), her work focuses on multi-scale risk assessments of coastal hazards and the development of decision-support tools integrating physical and socio-economic dimensions.
Her research integrates spatial analysis, GIS, nature-based solutions, citizen science, and indicators for disaster risk reduction (DRR). Dr Ballesteros is currently working on the OpenLAND project to understand how changes in UK land use can create benefits for net zero targets, soil health, biodiversity and agriculture. She has contributed to the EU-funded PROTECT project, assessing global and regional sea-level rise impacts and adaptation strategies, in particular understanding how coastal migration can play an important role for adaptation over the 21st century. Previously, at Bournemouth University, she developed coastal vulnerability indices in East Africa and led a citizen science initiative (CoastSnap Mozambique) focused on community-based coastal monitoring.
Dr Ballesteros has extensive experience in interdisciplinary research, stakeholder engagement, and international collaboration. Her academic background spans environmental sciences, GIS, and marine sciences, reflecting a strong foundation in both the natural and social dimensions of climate resilience.
Research Interests:
Coastal risk assessment · Sea-level rise · Climate change adaptation · Land use change · Social vulnerability · Disaster risk reduction (DRR) · Indicators · GIS · Nature-based solutions · Citizen science · Risk perception
