Curriculum vitae

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Curriculum vitae John Gareth REES
Born UK, 9th May 1961
EDUCATION AND
QUALIFICATIONS:
9 O'levels & 3 A'levels, Oxford, 1977-79.
BSc. Hons. Geology, Sheffield University, 1982.
PhD Geology, Trinity College, Dublin University, 1987.
General Certificate French, Institute of Linguistics, 1990.
PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE:
Chartered Geologist, 1994, Chartered Scientist, 2003.
Visiting Fellow, Petrophysics, Leicester University, 2006-2007.
Visiting Professor, Geology, Leicester University, 2008-present.
CAREER SUMMARY:
Research Councils UK (RCUK)
2013-Present: Risk Research Champion
I head the Risk Theme across the UK Research Councils (RCUK1), promoting the development of transdisciplinary
research and facilitation of external partnerships related to risk research. In this role I nurture multi-partner initiatives
through identification of shared agendas, and collaborative models. I am responsible for the identification of
opportunities to develop co-funded research programmes, principally between research councils and prospective nonRCUK partners - including government departments, agencies, industry, business sectors and NGOs - for which I act as
the primary RCUK point of contact for risk research. In this capacity I am currently developing several research
programmes, including those on: Science for humanitarian disasters and building resilience with the Department for
International Development (DfID); Integrated modelling with the Insurance industry (Reinsurers, Lloyds); and the design
of an Open-source modelling platform (Financial Services Knowledge Transfer Network).
I initiated, and currently Chair, the UK Disaster Research Group (DRG)2 hosted by the UK Collaborative for
Development Science (UKCDS)3. The DRG brings together UK funders interested in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
collaboration as well as UK representatives of international DRR fora: the UN International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (UNISDR); Integrated Research for Disaster Risk (IRDR)4 and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate
Change (IPCC). The DRG5 ‘the place to learn about DRR research’ meets quarterly (Wellcome Trust), organises
international meetings (e.g. the Royal Society Meeting on UN Disasters Day) commissions reports (e.g. the Review of the
international disaster research funding landscape6) and prioritises research needs. The group is currently developing a
sister academic network. As Chair of the DRG I have led the Natural Hazards: Building Resilience Workshop series
(London 2012, Bogota 2014), funded by the Science and Innovation Network (Foreign and Commonwealth Office - FCO;
and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - BIS). Currently the DRG is leading on the design of a science
framework to support the successor of the Hyogo Framework for Action.
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Member, UK Government Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE)7.
Member, UK Government Chief Scientist’s Risk Advisory Group.
Member, Judge Business School – Centre for Risk Studies (Cambridge University) Advisory Board8.
Member, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) Science Development Group9.
Comprising the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), The Economic and Social
Research Council (ESRC), The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), The Natural Environment
Research Council (NERC), and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
2 http://www.ukcds.org.uk/our-work/25?tid=40
3
Comprising UKCDS, NERC, ESRC, DfID, Wellcome Trust, Royal Society, Enhancing Learning and Research for Human Development, Consortium of British
Humanitarian Agencies, UNISDR, IRDR and IPCC.
4 For which the DRG acts as the UK National Committee.
5
DRG mission: Enhanced delivery and impact of disaster risk reduction, resilience and humanitarian assistance research and innovation through improved
collaboration of UK and international funders, research providers, users and affected people and communities.
6
http://www.elrha.org/news/ukcds
7 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmsctech/498/49809.htm
8
http://www.risk.jbs.cam.ac.uk/
9
http://www.ceh.ac.uk/science/corporateinformation/ceh-science-development-group.htm
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Member, Environment Agency (EA) –Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Working with Natural
Processes Expert Group10.
Member, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) Science Advisory Committee11.
Currently my Research interests are focused within three areas. I am interested in building the science basis
underpinning Natural Capital, particularly valuation of underground, urban and coastal resources and hazards – which
are under-represented in natural capital or ecosystem service schemes. I am currently setting up research projects based
upon these themes, as well as planning a television series based on natural capital with the BBC and Chinese State
Television (CCTV). I am also researching Decision-making and currently supervise 3 PhD students: Integrating
numerical hydro-ecological simulation output into linguistic decision processes for adaptive management with Giselher
Kaule (Stuttgart); Attitude formation and transformation with Brigitte Nerlich (Nottingham); and Public perceptions and
reality with Sarah O’Hara (Nottingham). I have had a long and continuing interest in Coastal and Marine hazards,
including coastal erosion, marine contamination, submarine slope stability and submarine earthquakes – particularly with
environmental change processes (e.g. gas hydrate destabilization or changes in runoff) – as well as the development of
tools (e.g. acoustic networks) to monitor these.
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
2007-2012: Theme Leader for Natural Hazards
I was responsible for facilitating a world-class Natural Hazards science portfolio, the promotion of strategic partnership
and communication between NERC and its stakeholders, in relation to integrated risk assessment, scientific advice and
uncertainty in forecasting for storms, floods, droughts, heat-waves, wildfires, coastal erosion, landslides, subsidence,
volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and space-weather. This entailed strategic prioritisation of process-driven hazard
science for risk management, notably in cross-sectoral areas through interaction with government departments &
agencies, other research councils and component institutes - including all Living With Environmental Change (LWEC)
partners12 - industry, universities and scientific societies. I identified science gaps and prioritized the research needed –
including the nature of proposed Research Programmes, including collaborations and resources required - to fill these.
Programmes I instigated, designed, and championed are those on: Storm Risk Mitigation13; The Changing Water Cycle14;
Quantifying Uncertainty15; The Arctic Research Programme16; Next Generation weather and climate
prediction17;Probability, Uncertainty and Risk in the Environment18; Coastal Sediment Systems19; Increasing resilience
to Natural Hazards in Earthquake-prone and volcanic regions20; UK Droughts21; and Flooding from intense rainfall22.
Whilst leading the NERC Natural Hazards Theme I led two major strategic initiatives. The UK Flooding & Coastal
Erosion Risk Management Research Strategy23 was commissioned by the LWEC partnership. It covers research needs,
observational requirements, capacity (skills and infrastructure) and implementation guidance, as well as provision of a
framework for multi-institutional research in future years. In developing this - through academic review, community
interaction, and public-consultation - I was supported by a manager (EA) as well as ~30 contracted contributors from
10http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/136425.aspx
11
http://cefas.defra.gov.uk/about-us/our-people/structure/cefas-science-advisory-committee.aspx
Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) members include: the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council (BBSRC), the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), the
Department for International Development (DFID), the Department for Transport (DfT), Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Department of Health
(DoH), the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Environment Agency (EA), the
Local Government Association (LGA), the Medical Research Council (MRC), Natural England (NE), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the
Technology Strategy Board (TSB), the Met Office, the Scottish Executive (SE), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Welsh Assembly
Government (WAG).
13 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/stormrisk/
14 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/cwc/
15 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/uncertainty/
16 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/arctic/
17 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/ngwcp/
18 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/pure/
19 www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/coastal/
20 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/resilience/
21 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/droughts/
22 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/flooding/
23 http://www.lwec.org.uk/sites/default/files/UK%20Flood%20Res%20Strategy%20Print%20version_0.pdf
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across LWEC partners and universities. The other was the UK Space Weather Strategy24 developed in conjunction with
the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The UK strategy was developed in line with international strategies, for instance
those developed in the United States and Europe (building on joint ventures with organisations such as the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
and the European Space Agency. The strategy addresses research and operational requirements to minimize space
weather risks.
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Member, MetOffice-NERC Joint Weather and Climate Research Programme Science Strategy Group25.
Organiser, Integrated Environmental Modelling Summit and workshops series (2010-2013) funded by the
Science and Innovation Network (FCO and BIS); Washington.
UK Lead Scientist, Belmont Forum: Coastal Systems; Water Security26.
Chair, Numerical Modelling Policy Interface Network27.
Co-recipient of the Lloyds (London) Science of Risk Prize (2012).
Member, Expert Group of the Government Office for Science Improving Future Disaster Anticipation &
Resilience project & Lead author of the Reducing Risk of Future Disasters report (Foresight)28.
Contributor, IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risk of Disasters and Extreme Events to Advance Climate
Change Adaptation (SREX)29.
Member and lead Expert, Advisory Group for Science for Humanitarian Emergency & Disasters Government
Office for Science.
Co-leader, Disasters - Improving the evidence base for prevention, resilience and emergency responses
Conference (2010) Royal Society30.
Co-leader, Challenges in utilising natural hazard research for risk-assessment and risk-management (2012)
Planet under Pressure Conference31.
Board Chair, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) –Welsh Assembly Government (WAG)
Centre for Catchment to Coastal Research32.
PhD Supervisor, Hydrate Formation in Near Surface Ocean Sediments (2008) with Mike Lovell (Leicester).
PhD Supervisor, Quantifying continental-scale runoff in the past (2012) with Rachel Flecker (Bristol).
Principal Investigator, Exploring changes in the Volume and Stability of the Global Methane Hydrate Reservoir
during the Last Interglacial-Glacial Cycle (NERC) £0.4m.
PhD external examiner, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Birkbeck, Southampton, Strathclyde and Herriot-Watt
universities - Controls on contaminant flux; Oceanographic controls on coastal stability; acoustics and Gas
hydrate stability modelling.
MSc programmes external examiner, University of Wales Bangor and Portsmouth University: Marine
Geotechnics and Geological and Environmental Hazards.
Judge, World skills environmental science competition (BIS).
British Geological Survey (BGS)
2005-2007: Head of Corporate Policy and Science Coordination
I developed and implemented corporate policy, as well as coordinated science, in the BGS (~£25M Programme, 800 staff,
working across 6 sites), reporting directly to the Executive Director and Board. I advised on: the alignment of BGS policy
to UK and international legislative drivers; shifts in the prevailing international science and business environment;
organisational governance, business models and diversification of funding streams. I also managed the corporate planning
& audit cycle, co-ordinated policy advice from BGS to HM Government and managed the BGS Press Office. I was also
responsible for developing Climate Change and Energy as key cross-cutting themes within BGS.
24
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/bicameral/post/post-news/space-weather/
http://www.jwcrp.org.uk/
26 http://igfagcr.org/index.php/belmont-forum
27 http://www.nmpi.net/
28 http://www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/our-work/policy-futures/disasters
29 http://ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/
30 http://www.elrha.org/news/elrha/disastersconference
31 http://www.planetunderpressure2012.net/pup_session.asp?19188
32 http://www.cccr.ac.uk/
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Member of Advisory Groups: Natural Disaster Reduction (Cabinet Office), Eurogeosurveys (UK Representative),
Flood Risk Management Research Consortium (Defra & EPSRC); Quantifying the Earth System (NERC); US
Energy Program (US Department of Defense); Science Foundation Ireland; and the Physical Properties Network
(EPSRC).
Conference organiser: Applications in Bioacoustics (US Office of Naval Research and US Army Corps of Engineers,
2004); International Gas hydrates Congress (2006); the Sediment-hosted Gas Hydrates Conference (Geological
Society, 2006); Geological Approaches to Carbon Management Conference (NERC – Chinese Academy of
Sciences, 2006): the International Numerical Modelling – Policy Interface Conference (NMPI, 2007); and
Mathematics & Climate change Conference (NERC, 2006).
Principal Investigator: Biologically Inspired Acoustics Systems Programme (RCUK, Basic Technology) – (£3.6m)33.
2000-2004: Manager, Coastal Geoscience and Global Change Programme
I directed and managed coastal and global change research in BGS, including leadership of 25 staff, the management of
BGS and commercial projects, both in the UK and internationally. Major clients included: DfID, Defra, EA, and
European Commission. I researched coastal evolution within the NERC Land-Ocean Interaction Study (LOIS); assessed
offshore hazards and resources in the English Channel and southern North Sea; modelled sediment yields to the nearshore zone from coastal erosion on the East Anglian coast; and modelled estuarine sediment accommodation space (in
relation to coastal flooding) for the EA in the Humber, Southampton Water and Irish Sea estuaries.
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Recipient, START (International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme) lectureship for West Africa: Cote d’Ivoire,
Ghana, Togo, Nigeria; (Centre Recherches Oceanologiques, Abidjan, University of Ghana, Legon, Centre for
Coastal research, Lome, Nigerian Institute for Oceanographic and Marine Research, University of Nigeria, Yaba).
Principal Investigator, Land-Ocean Contamination Study (DfID), with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research
Institute (Mombasa), Institute of Marine Sciences (Dar es Salaam), Research and Development Centre for
Oceanology (Jakarta), and Niteroi University/ Rio de Janeiro State Environment Agency (FEEMA) (Sepetiba Bay);
and the integrated modelling phase of LOIS.
International Review panel Member, Coastal science and environmental geology at research stations in Indonesia
and Thailand as part of the Coordinating Committee for Offshore Producers (CCOP) -funded COASTPLAN
programme.
Advisory Group member: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Afribasins; Coastal Global Ocean
Observing System; Scottish Coastal Forum; the UK Marine Data and Information Partnership; Minerals Industry
Research Organisation; Sea level rise (UK Government Chief Scientist); and Coastal Dredging (WAG).
Chair, Eurogeosurveys Climate Change Policy Sector panel.
Project Director, Coastal Resources Management Project (Sri Lanka Government and Asian Development Bank).
Project Director, ICZMap (UK Hydrographic Office and Ordnance Survey - Invest-to-save, Treasury).
Principal Investigator, Tyndall Coastal Simulator (NERC, ESRC & EPSRC) (£0.3m).
Faced Parliamentary Select Committees in relation to the Marine Bill and Coastal Erosion.
1986-1994: Land Survey
I mapped urban hazards and resources of several coalfields (Department of the Environment); established the Triassic
setting of the Sellafield site for as part of a Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (NIREX) risk assessment; and
assessed the stability of Carsington Dam (Severn Trent Water Authority).
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Manager, Stoke-on-Trent project. Produced the 1:50k scale sheet (123) and memoir.
Principal Investigator, BGS Digital Modelling pilot project.
PhD Supervisor, Scale Relational Databases (1994) with Chris Jones (Cambridge).
Irish Cement Ltd.
33
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/planetearth/2010/winter/win10-success.pdf
1985-1986: Project Geologist
Geologist, Boyne Valley Resources - responsible for discovery of a 7Mt deposit of low sulphur shales - now quarried for
cement production; seconded to Chevron Ireland to assess copper mineralization prospects.
Geological Survey of Ireland
1982-1985: Contract Geologist
Researcher, The late Palaeozoic evolution of the Boyne Valley area, leading to production of a PhD thesis Carboniferous
Geology of the Boyne Valley area, Ireland (Trinity College Dublin).
PUBLICATIONS:
Author of 10+ books/ book chapters, 50+ journal papers, 50+ commissioned reports and 20+ published maps.
Key Recent publications
1. ASSOUS, S., LINNETT, L, JACKSON, P.D, GUNN, D., HOPPER, C., REES, J.G, and LOVELL, M, 2010.
Short pulse multi-frequency phased based time delay estimation. Journal of the Acoustic Society of America, 127
(1), 309-315.
2. DAWSON, RJ, DICKSON, ME, NICHOLLS, RJ, HALL, JW, WALKDEN, MJA, STANSBY, P, MOKRECH,
M, RICHARDS, J, ZHOU, J, MILLIGAN, J, JORDAN, A, PEARSON, S, REES, JG, BATES, P,
KOUKOULAS, S, and WATKINSON, A. 2009. Integrated analysis of risks of coastal flooding and cliff erosion
under scenarios of long term change, Climatic Change, 95, 249-288.
3. HOPPER, C, ASSOUS, SA, WILIKINSON, PB, GUNN, DA, JACKSON, PD, REES, JG, O’LEARY, RL and
LOVELL, MA. 2012. Bioinspired low-frequency material characterisation. Advances in Acoustics and
Vibration, 2012, 927903.
4. HUGHES, A, VAN WONDEREN, J, REES, JG, SEYMOUR, K, MANFUL, DY, and KARL, H. 2012. How to
get your model results used: a guide to stakeholder engagement. 39-48 In SHEPLEY, MG, WHITEMAN, MI,
HULME, P and GROUT, M (eds.) Groundwater Resources Modelling: A Case study from the UK. Geological
Society Special Publications, 364.
5. HUNTER, SJ, GOLDOBIN, DS, HAYWOOD, RIDGWELL, AJ. and REES, JG. 2013. Sensitivity of the global
submarine hydrate inventory to scenarios of future climate change, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 367,
105-115.
6. LONG, D, LOVELL, MA, REES, JG and ROCHELLE, CA (editors). 2009. Sediment-hosted Gas Hydrates:
New insights on Natural and Synthetic Systems. Geological Society Special Publications 319.
7. PELLING, M, BASHER, R, BIRKMANN, J, CUTTER, S, DESAI, B, FAKHRUDDIN, SHM, FERRUGINI, F,
MITCHELL, T, OLIVER-SMITH, A, REES, JG, and TAKEUCHI, K. In Press. Disaster Risk Reduction and
Sustainable Development. Springer.
8. REES, JG, GIBSON, A, HARRISON, M, HUGHES, AG, and WALSBY, JC. 2009. Regional modelling of
geohazard change. In CULSHAW, MG, REEVES, HJ, JEFFERSON, I and SPINK, TW. Engineering Geology
for Tomorrow’s Cities. Geological Society, London, Engineering Geology Special Publication, 22, 49-63.
9. STRONG, DJ, FLECKER, RM, VALDES, PJ, WILKINSON, IP, REES, JG, YONG, YQ, LLOYD, JM,
GARRETT, E and PANCOST, RD. 2012. Organic matter distribution in the modern sediments of the Pearl
River Estuary. Organic Geochemistry, 49, 68-82.
10. STRONG, DJ, FLECKER, RM, VALDES, PJ, WILKINSON, IP, REES, JG, MICHEAELIDES, K., YONG, YQ,
LLOYD, JM, YU, F, and PANCOST, RD. 2013. A new regional, mid-Holocene palaeoprecipitation signal of the
Asian Summer Monsoon. Quaternary science reviews, 78, 65-76.
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