Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES)

Profile

General

My Passion for community development and effective disaster management stems from my work with various non-governmental organisations. Working with the Missionaries of Charity in India, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Haiti. Whilst in India I also worked for Vivekananda Sevakendra-o-Sishu Uddyan (VSSU) supplying small scale sustainable enterprises with micro-finance, profits were invested into social and environmental projects.

Teaching

• Hertfordshire University lecturing GIS and Disaster Management (Part-Time)
• Workers Education Association teaching Disaster Management (Part-Time)
• General Teaching Practice, Park Community School, Havant, UK (Part-Time)

Professional Record

January 08 - Present: MapAction, Buckinghamshire, UK

I am a full-time volunteer for MapAction. MapAction's work in disaster zones multiplies for efficiency of emergency response. We do this by highlighting, on frequently updated situation maps, the places where relief help is most urgently needed.

June 07 - August 07: Dominica Geohazards Expedition Leader, Dominica

I organised and co-lead the Dominica Geohazards expedition natural hazards and vulnerability research programme. This included training and supporting graduates and undergraduates in the field, organising logistics and funding and hosting seminars on behalf of the Red Cross and UNDP to aid in the creation of efficient hazard management plans.

May 06 - July 06: Costa Rica Geohazards Expedition Leader, Costa Rica

On behalf of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) I used new methodologies such as low cost satellite imagery and GIS in combination with more traditional cartographic techniques to aid with the mapping of hazards, vulnerability and ultimately risk in Costa Rica. I established new field techniques to attain the necessary data and used my fluency in Spanish to develop constructive relationships with local societies.

Research

I am developing new methodologies utilising Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to provide resource efficient solutions for disaster management in developing nations. I have already implemented these strategies successfully in Costa Rica and Dominica on behalf of local and national governments, the Red Cross and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This has necessitated the generation of constructive relationships with a large range of stakeholders, each with their own specialised interests.

Recent Publications

• Teeuw, R.M., Morris, N.J., Solana, M.C., Saunders, C. (2007). Low cost remote sensing applied to disaster risk assessment. In: 2007 international Geohazards Conference, 5-7 November (abstract), Pg 92. ESA-ESRIN Frascati Rome, Italy.
• Morris, N.J., Teeuw, R.M., Solana, M.C. (2007) Mapping vulnerability and geohazards in NW Costa Rica. Poster presented at GRSG Conference, Geological Remote Sensing and Developing Countries 18th-19th December.
• Morris, N.J., Teeuw, R.M., Solana, M.C. (2008). Low cost GIS and Remote Sensing for DDR 10-11 March 2008, Lyndhurst, Hants. ASM08: RSPSoc