London - November 02, 2023
AXA XL is delighted to announce the winner of the AXA XL Climate Water Nexus Award, jointly launched with the AXA Research Fund.
Following a rigorous selection process, Dr. Petra Holden, Researcher at the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town, has been granted the €50,000 award to support her research around nature-based solutions for an equitable, biodiverse, and sustainable climate future.
The award aligns with AXA XL’s 2023-2026 sustainability strategy and its work around water scarcity, helping to highlight how water is an underappreciated and undervalued risk closely interlinked with climate change.
Suzanne Scatliffe, Global Sustainability Director, AXA XL, said: “Water availability is becoming less predictable in many places, and the negative impacts of limited freshwater are numerous: poor health, interrupted education, gender inequalities, conflict, unreliable food production, biodiversity loss and many more. By supporting researchers like Petra, we can recognise innovative, transdisciplinary research that highlights the important link between freshwater and its ecosystem services and climate change.”
The award also aligns with the AXA Research Fund’s mission to accelerate transformative scientific research on key global risks and its dissemination towards supporting decision making – both areas outlined by the jury as contributing factors to Dr. Holden’s selection.
Dr. Holden commented: “A core theme of my research is identification and analysis of enablers of equitable and sustainable nature-based solutions for water security, biodiversity, and climate change adaptation.
“In my recent research, using the Cape Town Day Zero drought as an example, I was able to demonstrate the importance of embedding nature-based solutions, like invasive tree clearing in the city’s watershed, into a broader portfolio of water adaptation options for managing water supply to urban areas under a changing climate.
“Further, my research has been applied to financial models to help to promote innovative partnerships to support successful nature-based solutions. By identifying ways to catalyse and scale equitable nature-based solutions, governments and organisations can select approaches that maximise social and environmental value, ultimately contributing to climate, biodiversity and water goals at the local and global level.”
AXA XL is committed to engaging in water stewardship to provide visibility for water access issues and leadership in addressing them.
To find out more about the Climate Water Nexus Award and the criteria for selection, click here or to view AXA XL’s global 2023-2026 sustainability strategy, click here.
To find out more about the AXA Research Fund, click here.
Follow AXA XL on LinkedIn.
Follow the AXA Research Fund on LinkedIn and Twitter
About the winner: Dr Petra Holden is a transdisciplinary conservation scientist at the African Climate & Development Initiative (ACDI), University of Cape Town (UCT). She specialises in research on nature-based solutions for equitable, biodiverse, water secure, and a sustainable climate future. Petra currently leads a research team at ACDI, undertaking research to provide evidence on nature-based solutions accounting for social equity processes and sustainability of ecosystem services given climate changes. For more information on Petra’s research see Google Scholar, TES NbS, ACDI.
ABOUT AXA XL
AXA XL, the property & casualty and specialty risk division of AXA, provides insurance and risk management products and services for mid-sized companies through to large multinationals, and reinsurance solutions to insurance companies globally. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com
ABOUT AXA XL INSURANCE
AXA XL Insurance offers property, casualty, professional, financial lines, and specialty insurance solutions to mid-sized companies through to large multinationals globally. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com
ABOUT THE AXA RESEARCH FUND
The AXA Research Fund is AXA Group’s global scientific philanthropy initiative, launched in 2008 to address the most important issues facing our planet. It supports human progress by funding research in key areas related to risk and helping inform public and private decision-making based on science.
With a total budget of €250 million committed since its inception, the AXA Research Fund has forged partnerships with more than 330 academic institutions in 38 countries and has supported over 700 projects led by researchers of 60 nationalities, 43% of whom are women.
MEDIA RELATIONS:
Sarah Samee
Communications Director, UK & Global ESG
AXA XL, a division of AXA
+44 (0) 7977 662 829
sarah.samee@axaxl.com
- Share This Article:
-
-
