Dr. Sungju Han
Contact
Sungju Han
Postdoctoral Researcher
Member of Working Group Environmental Risks and Extreme Events
Member of Working Group Social-Science Water Research
Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology
Helmholtz Centre
for Environmental Research - UFZ
Permoserstr. 15
04318 Leipzig, Germany
Tel: 0341 6025 1641
sungju.han@ufz.de
LinkedIn
ResearchGate
Research Interests
Hi, I'm Sungju (pronounced more like Song-Ju), a human-environment geographer who studies how people and communities deal with climate risks. What really fascinates me is place - the deep emotional connections we have to where we live, and how these feelings influence whether we stay, adapt, or move when facing environmental challenges.
My research combines diverse methodological approaches, from advanced statistical modeling (e.g. structural equation modeling, latent class analysis) and machine learning (e.g. random forest) to qualitative methods like interviews and narrative analysis. I also use systems analysis techniques including fuzzy cognitive mapping and social network analysis to understand complex community dynamics.
Research Keywords
- Place-based risk perception and community adaptive behavior
- Sense of place in the context of hazards
- Local acceptance of nature-based solutions
- Systems analysis of environmental governance
Professional and Academic Career
Since 10/2022
Postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology, UFZ
"Helmholtz InnoPool Project EXTREME-ADAPT: Quantifying the effect of adaptation measures on spatiotemporal changes in flood and drought risk" (2025 - Present)
"Drought and low water in Saxony: perception, consequences and need for action" (2025 - Present)
"KAHR – Klimaanpassung, Hochwasser und Resilienz" (09/2024 - 02/2025)
"RECONECT – Regenerating ECOsystems with Nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk rEduCTion” project (10/2022 - 08/2024)
10/2018 - 12/2022
Ph.D. researcher at the Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology at the UFZ Leipzig and Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam (Funded by German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD)
Dissertation Title: Perceptions of Nature-based Solutions in the Context of Floods - Understanding the complexity of people and places at risk (Grade: Magna Cum Laude)
01/2015 - 08/2017
Researcher at the
Korea Environment Institute
, Sejong, Korea
Division of Climate Change and Interdisciplinary Research
09/2014 - 12/2014
Intern at the Permanent Delegation of Republic of Korea to the OECD, Paris, France
10/2013 - 11/2014
London School of Economics and Political Sciences, London, UK
Department of Geography and Environment
MSc in Local Economic Development
Publication
Index:
You could use our publication index for further requests.
2025 (3)
- Fusinato, E., Han, S., Kobiyama, M., de Brito, M.M. (2025):
Unintended consequences of public policies in increasing risk: The safe development paradox in the Revólver Basin, Brazil
SSRN 10.2139/ssrn.5269371 - Han, S. (2025):
Anchored in place, driven by risk: How place attachment amplifies the household flood adaptation
Appl. Geogr. 177 , art. 103547 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103547 - Köhler, L., Masson, T., Han, S., Kuhlicke, C. (2025):
Polarization in Flood Risk Management? Sensitivity of norm perception and responsibility attribution to frequent flood experience
EGUsphere 10.5194/egusphere-2025-1362
2024 (6)
- Fusinato, E., Han, S., Kobiyama, M., de Brito, M.M. (2024):
Safe development paradox: evidence and methodological insights from a systematic review
Nat. Hazards 120 (15), 13693 - 13714 10.1007/s11069-024-06774-z - Fusinato, E., Han, S., Kobiyama, M., de Brito, M.M. (2024):
Unintended consequences of disaster mitigation: A systematic review of the safe development paradox
Research Square 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3941568/v1 - Han, S., Dushkova, D., Kuhlicke, C. (2024):
Report on the possible strategies for mainstreaming of large-scale NBS. Deliverable D4.7
RECONECT Consortium, 6304021 pp. - Han, S., Luo, A. (2024):
Unravelling stakeholder narratives on nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk reduction
Sustain. Sci. 19 (5), 1677 - 1691 10.1007/s11625-024-01541-2 - Köhler, L., Han, S. (2024):
The leverage effect of experience: how flood frequency and perceived loss of control influence individual protective motivation
EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024
EGUsphere
Copernicus Publications, EGU24-18999 10.5194/egusphere-egu24-18999 - Köhler, L., Han, S. (2024):
The driving effect of experience: How perceived frequency of floods and feeling of loss of control are linked to household-level adaptation
Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct. 112 , art. 104745 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104745
2023 (5)
- de Brito, M.M., Kuhlicke, C., Bartkowski, B., Botzen, W., Doğulu, C., Han, S., Hudson, P., Karanci, A.N., Klassert, C., Otto, D., Scolobig, A., Moreno Soares, T., Rufat, S. (2023):
A systematic review of the use of theories in social vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation research
EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023
EGUsphere
Copernicus Publications, EGU23-1308 10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1308 - Han, S., Bubeck, P., Thieken, A., Kuhlicke, C. (2023):
A place-based risk appraisal model for exploring residents’ attitudes toward nature-based solutions to flood risks
Risk Anal. 43 (12), 2562 - 2580 10.1111/risa.14118 - Han, S., Kuhlicke, C. (2023):
Deichrückverlegungsprojekte in Sachsen-Anhalt: eine Fallstudie zur Wahrnehmung von naturbasierten Lösungen. Dike relocation projects in Saxony-Anhalt: A case study on the perception of nature-based solutions
Geographische Rundschau 75 (7-8), 34 - 39 - Han, S., Masson, T., Köhler, S., Kuhlicke, C. (2023):
Bridge the gap: Linking social vulnerability and adaptive behaviour
EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023
EGUsphere
Copernicus Publications, EGU23-5148 10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5148 - Kuhlicke, C., de Brito, M.M., Bartkowski, B., Botzen, W., Doğulu, C., Han, S., Hudson, P., Karanci, A.N., Klassert, C.J., Otto, D., Scolobig, A., Moreno Soares, T., Rufat, S. (2023):
Spinning in circles? A systematic review on the role of theory in social vulnerability, resilience and adaptation research
Glob. Environ. Change 80 , art. 102672 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102672
2022 (1)
- Han, S. (2022):
Perceptions of nature-based solutions in the context of floods: Understanding the complexity of people and places at risk
Dissertation, Universität Potsdam
PhD Dissertation 4/2022
Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung - UFZ, Leipzig, XIV, 150 pp. 10.25932/publishup-57952
2021 (1)
- Han, S., Kuhlicke, C. (2021):
Barriers and drivers for mainstreaming nature-based solutions for flood risks: The case of South Korea
Int. J. Disaster Risk Sci. 12 (5), 661 - 672 10.1007/s13753-021-00372-4
2019 (1)
- Han, S., Kuhlicke, C. (2019):
Reducing hydro-meteorological risk by nature-based solutions: What do we know about people’s perceptions?
Water 11 (12), art. 2599 10.3390/w11122599
Preprints
Preprints and other works are available on my ResearchGate.