Ricci, Liana

Liana is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy at the School of Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Policy, she holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering and a PhD in Urban and Land-use Planning. Prior to being appointed at UCD, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer of Urban and regional policy and Urban and land-use planning at the Department of Civil, Building, and Environmental Engineering of Sapienza University of Rome.

Research interest

Liana’s research interests concern the interface of engineering, policy, and society with a focus on human-nature interaction and environmental changes. Liana’s work addresses urban and environmental planning challenges, climate policy integration and adaptation mainstreaming, participatory planning and community-based adaptation, and alternative forms of infrastructure and service provision in informal and peri-urban settlements. Her research is informed by post-colonial and political ecology theories and black studies.

Mentoring

More than 10 years’ experience in supervising undergraduate and graduate dissertations and research projects of Environmental Engineering, Urban and Regional Planning, Urban Desing, and Environmental Policy programmes.

She is currently supervising a PhD student working on affordable and inclusive transport in sub-Saharan cities and she is a member of 3 Doctoral Study Panels.

Grants and consultancy

• Currently Lead Water management through ECOhydrology for climate change ADAPTation in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania (WECOAdapt), a project funded by IrishAid under the Science Foundation Ireland SDG Challenge Programme (2023- 2024).
• Adapting to Climate Change in Coastal Dar es Salaam - ACCDAR co-funded by the EU under the Thematic Programme for Environment and sustainable management of natural resources, including energy (2009-2015)
• Water infrastructure resilience in coastal Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Italian Ministry of Education and Research (2015-2016)
• Methodologies for mainstreaming adaptation into local plans for urban development and environmental management in sub-Saharan cities, Italian Ministry of Environment, and Land and Marine Protection (2012-2014)
• Methodology for analysis and design of local plans of action for adaptation to climate change in Least Developed Countries, Italian Ministry of Education and Research (2010-2012)
• Mapping Women’s Rights and Gender Issues in Development Cooperation Policy; Gender and climate justice, ActionAid (2010)

Policy Engagement

• Expert to the Statement Working Group of the IAP - Inter Academy Partnership drafting the IAP Policy Statement on “Urbanization in Low and Middle-Income Countries” (2020 - 2022)
• Member of the Management Committee and Lead of the Working Group 5 Policy and Governance of the COST Action Enhancing Small-Medium IsLands resilience by securing the sustainability of Ecosystem Services (SMILES) (2022 – to date)
• Coordinator of the working group on SGD 11 at ASVIS (Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development) and policy advisor to the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers for the drafting of the National Report for Habitat III and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015 - 2018).