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Rachel Harrington-Abrams

Rachel Harrington-Abrams

PhD student

Biography

Rachel is a PhD student in the Department of Geography. Prior to joining King's, she earned her master's in Environmental Policy at Sciences Po Paris, where she studied challenges in environmental governance ranging from the politics of marine protection to decarbonisation pathways.

Rachel previously worked at The Climate Group in New York, supporting clean energy transitions within the private sector and sub-national governments. She also conducted field research on community-led conservation and ecosystem-based management in Brazil.

Research

Rachel's doctoral research focuses on the complex multilateralism of adaptation and loss and damage governance, including how constructed discourses, epistemic actors, and funding inform and impact decision-making processes within national governments on the use of planned relocation and managed retreat policies.

Thesis title: Climate change and planned relocation: Understanding decision-making processes for adaptation governance

PhD Supervision

Further details 

See Rachel's research profile

Research

climate change hero
King's Climate Research Hub

Studying climate change through the relationship between science, policy and culture, particularly in the developing world.

News

King's academics to share research insights at pubs, cafés at the Pint of Science festival

Teams from across King’s are delivering talks, demonstrations and live experiments at the renowned public science festival.

Geography staff presenting at a Pint of Science event

News tracker: COP27 expert commentary and updates

All the latest from across King's relating to COP27, climate, sustainability and more.

Cop27 News 2

King's staff, students and alumni receive Sustainability Awards

Students, staff and alumni come together at the King’s Sustainability Awards to celebrate the efforts of those helping to make King’s a more sustainable place.

Group photo of the Sustainability Awards with people holding up SDG signs and an SDG slide in the background.

Governments need to be more transparent about planned relocation

In the latest Forced Migration review, PhD researcher, Rachel Harrington-Abrams, explains how a lack of accountability and transparency around decisions on...

Displaced peoples camp in Herat, Afghanistan

King's researchers share expertise as part of the COP26 global climate change summit

Experts on climate change, wildfires, adaptation and climate law are participating in events at the COP26 meeting.

COP26 Flag

Events

21Nov

Reflections on COP27 - perspectives from members of the King's delegation to the 27th UNFCCC Conference

Join this event to hear climate researchers who attended COP as part of the King's delegation, as they reflect on their experiences at this year's climate...

Please note: this event has passed.

28Jun

Refugee Week x London Climate Action Week: The climate crisis and refugees

Join this event to hear from experts approaching the topic of climate and refugees from three different angles.

Please note: this event has passed.

Features

COP29: What to expect and why the UN climate summit matters

RACHEL HARRINGTON-ABRAMS explores what we should expect from the COP29 meeting, why is it important and how will we know if it is has been a success.

COP buildings banner image

Your guide to COP28: the issues, obstacles and key players at the global summit

Rachel Harrington-Abrams shares her thoughts on the priority areas on the agenda at COP28 for negotiators, who are the major players and potential points of...

COP28 for banners with title in front centre 1903 558

Inside COP27: understanding hard-fought wins and difficult outcomes

Rachel Harrington-Abrams, PhD student in the Department of Geography, details her experiences from COP27

Rachel Harrington-Abrams at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

The challenges of adaptation, loss & damage that must be addressed at COP26 and beyond

Rachel Harrington-Abrams and Dr James Porter set out the challenges of adaptation, loss and damage and what can be done to address them at COP26 and beyond.

flooding

Research

climate change hero
King's Climate Research Hub

Studying climate change through the relationship between science, policy and culture, particularly in the developing world.

News

King's academics to share research insights at pubs, cafés at the Pint of Science festival

Teams from across King’s are delivering talks, demonstrations and live experiments at the renowned public science festival.

Geography staff presenting at a Pint of Science event

News tracker: COP27 expert commentary and updates

All the latest from across King's relating to COP27, climate, sustainability and more.

Cop27 News 2

King's staff, students and alumni receive Sustainability Awards

Students, staff and alumni come together at the King’s Sustainability Awards to celebrate the efforts of those helping to make King’s a more sustainable place.

Group photo of the Sustainability Awards with people holding up SDG signs and an SDG slide in the background.

Governments need to be more transparent about planned relocation

In the latest Forced Migration review, PhD researcher, Rachel Harrington-Abrams, explains how a lack of accountability and transparency around decisions on...

Displaced peoples camp in Herat, Afghanistan

King's researchers share expertise as part of the COP26 global climate change summit

Experts on climate change, wildfires, adaptation and climate law are participating in events at the COP26 meeting.

COP26 Flag

Events

21Nov

Reflections on COP27 - perspectives from members of the King's delegation to the 27th UNFCCC Conference

Join this event to hear climate researchers who attended COP as part of the King's delegation, as they reflect on their experiences at this year's climate...

Please note: this event has passed.

28Jun

Refugee Week x London Climate Action Week: The climate crisis and refugees

Join this event to hear from experts approaching the topic of climate and refugees from three different angles.

Please note: this event has passed.

Features

COP29: What to expect and why the UN climate summit matters

RACHEL HARRINGTON-ABRAMS explores what we should expect from the COP29 meeting, why is it important and how will we know if it is has been a success.

COP buildings banner image

Your guide to COP28: the issues, obstacles and key players at the global summit

Rachel Harrington-Abrams shares her thoughts on the priority areas on the agenda at COP28 for negotiators, who are the major players and potential points of...

COP28 for banners with title in front centre 1903 558

Inside COP27: understanding hard-fought wins and difficult outcomes

Rachel Harrington-Abrams, PhD student in the Department of Geography, details her experiences from COP27

Rachel Harrington-Abrams at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

The challenges of adaptation, loss & damage that must be addressed at COP26 and beyond

Rachel Harrington-Abrams and Dr James Porter set out the challenges of adaptation, loss and damage and what can be done to address them at COP26 and beyond.

flooding