GECHS

Ursula Oswald Spring is a professor and researcher at the Regional Centre of Multidisciplinary Research at the National University of Mexico (CRIM-UNAM). She was the first General Attorney (Ombudswomen) for Environment in Latin America and the first Minister of Environmental Development in Mexico in the State of Morelos. She has a PhD in Social Anthropology with speciality in Environment (1978), a Master in Psychology (1972) and BE in Philosophy, Psychology and Anthropology (1969) from University of Zuerich, Switzerland. She is the first MunichRe Chair on Social Vulnerability (2005/2006) at the United National University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS). She is chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of AFES-PRESS. She is founding member and was Secretary General of the Colegio de Tlaxcala, a PhD programme on sustainable regional development. As President of IPRA (1988-2000) and Secretary General of CLAIP (Latin American Peace Research, 2002-2006) she linked the concept of Human, Gender and Environmental Security (HUGE) with peace studies, non-violent conflict resolution and sustainable productive processes. She is also a founding member and Chair of the Advisory Commission of the Peasant University from the South in Mexico and has advised for the last 35 years women, indigenous, peasants and social vulnerable groups. She has written 33 books on poverty alleviation, sustainability, water, hydrodiplomacy, peace studies, conflict resolution within indigenous and minorities, environmental education, food sovereignty, genetic modified organisms, social vulnerability and women. She was acknowledged with the price Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in 2005, the merit on environmental research in Tlaxcala 2005 and 2006, the Woman of the Year 2000, the Woman researcher University price and the 4th Decade of Development from the UN. She was involved in peace and conflict resolution in Central America, Middle East, Gernika-Spain, Chiapas and in several African countries and is editor of Peace and Environment in the Encyclopaedia on Life Support System-UNESCO. She is co-author of: the Policy Memorandum by Scientists regarding the UN Security Council’s first discussion on Climate Change: Climate Change and Human Security (15 April 2007). She is co-editor (with H.G. Brauch, P. Kameri-Mbote N. Behera Chadha, J. Grin, C. Mesjasz et al.) of three major reference books in Springer’s HEXAGON Series on: Vol. III: Globalization and Environmental Challenges: Reconceptualizing Security in the 21st Century (2007/2008); Vol. IV: Facing Global Environmental Change: Environmental, Human, Energy, Food, Health and Water Security Concepts (2008); Vol. V: Coping with Global Environmental Change, Disasters and Security – Threats, Challenges, Vulnerabilities and Risks (2008/2009). For more information visit her personal website.