About

Declan Conway joined the Grantham Research Institute as a Professorial Research Fellow on the 28th October 2013.

Background

Declan’s research cuts across water, climate and society. He has current interests in behavioural and psychological approaches to water security and adaptation. Declan draws on insights from different disciplines to pursue problem focused research. He has over 25 years of experience working in the UK/Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Declan’s research funding has included the EU, UK government departments FCDO and Defra, UK NERC and ESRC, US NSF, Canadian IDRC and the World Bank.

Research Interests

  • Behavioural and psychological perspectives on adaptation and water security
  • Water security and climate change
  • Adaptation and development
  • Water-energy-food Nexus

Research

Research - 2023

Research - 2022

The authors of this paper simulate the projected repetition of the UK's highest yielding season —2018— and use an analogue approach to model the 1999–2018 mean growing season temperatures from Pinot noir producing areas of Champagne (France), Burgundy (France) and Baden (Germany) over the UK during 2021–2040. Read more

The authors of this paper conduct a systematic review to synthesize existing knowledge on differential vulnerability of female entrepreneurs in Africa to climate risk, in relation to their sensitivity to extreme climate events and their adaptive capacity. Read more

Malawi depends on Lake Malawi outflows into the Shire River for its water, energy and food (WEF) security. The authors of this paper explore future WEF security risks under the combined impacts of climate change and ambitious development pathways for water use expansion. Read more

Research - 2021

In this paper the authors advance a novel approach to integrated assessment of the ways in which the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are likely to manifest and interact within a given development context, using Q-Methodology and the conceptual framing of imaginaries. Read more

The authors of this paper examined past and future climate variability with the aim of understanding the main source of climate risk to development plans across the water, energy, and food sectors in southern East Africa, a relatively neglected region in terms of climate science and targeted for extensive infrastructure development. Read more

Research - 2020

The analysis suggests that the Sustainable Development Goals and their targets mostly create conditions that aid the achievement of each other within development corridors but that there are trade-offs between some goals and other development gains. The authors signal priority areas for investment, policy reorientation and strengthened safeguards, to maximise positive SDG interactions and minimise negative ones. Read more

Making climate-resilient planning and adaptation decisions is, in part, contingent on the use of climate information. Growing attention has been... Read more

This paper investigates the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) in supporting the development of enabling conditions for adaptation to climate change among micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries, with a focus on Kenya. Read more

Research - 2019

Research - 2018

The El Niño event in 2015/2016 was one of the strongest since at least 1950. Through surveys and interviews with... Read more

Research - 2017

Using document analysis and key informant interviews, this article examines how climate change is addressed in policy, how it is being mainstreamed into water, energy and agriculture sector policies and the extent to which cross-sectoral linkages enable coordinated action. These questions are addressed through a case study of Tanzania, highlighting broader lessons for other developing countries, particularly those in SSA facing similar challenges. Read more

This paper presents an agenda for the next generation of climate adaptation research for development. The agenda is based on insights from a dialogue session held at the 2016 Adaptation Futures conference as well as drawing on the collective experience of the authors. Read more

Research - 2016

Research - 2015

Research - 2014

The international community's support for adaptation in developing countries has proliferated through numerous complementary funding mechanisms. A range of serious practical issues are emerging, however, as adaptation moves from theory and international negotiation to implementation. We identify three areas deserving greater scrutiny: in-country priorities, entry points and delivery systems, and provide recommendations for improving adaptation practice. These concerns, if not addressed, have the potential to hamper attempts at effective delivery and to increase the vulnerability of intended beneficiaries of the adaptation agenda. Read more

Policy

Policy - 2023

This policy brief draws on research undertaken in Laikipia County in central Kenya to underscore the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in Africa in the face of climate change and how policy can support them to build strong, climate-resilient businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Read more

Policy - 2022

Policy - 2021

This report presents the headline findings from a national survey of UK-based organisations’ perceptions about adapting to a changing climate, providing insights into a wide range of factors affecting organisational and sectoral perspectives on preparedness, risk and adaptation. Read more

Policy - 2019

Policy - 2018

With substantial new hydropower generation planned for eastern and southern Africa, how can risks from rainfall variations and climate change be overcome to ensure reliable supply and socioeconomic development? This brief analyses the challenges and provides recommendations to policymakers, the energy sector and development partners. Read more

National governments, with development partners, have an important role to play in supporting adaptation and climate-resilient development among private actors – households, producers and small businesses – in the semi-arid lands of developing countries, argues this brief, a final output from the Pathways to Resilience in Semi-Arid Economies (PRISE) project. Read more

Policy - 2017

This brief provides an overview of future climate change in Tanzania, using results from the latest available climate model simulations. The UMFULA research team of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) programme has analysed 34 Global Climate Models (GCMs) that provide projections for Tanzania to try to distil robust messages and some key trends that may help planning and decision-making. Read more

Books

Books - 2021

Events

Events - 2024

Events - 2023

Events - 2022

Events - 2021

Events - 2020

Events - 2016

Events - 2015

News

News - 2023

In many water-stressed parts of the world there need to be improvements in decision-making around water resources to make climate change adaptation more effective and equitable in policy and practice. This commentary introduces the issues and a new project called BASIN that aims to draw insights from behavioural and psychological sciences to improve decision-making in this area. Read more

News - 2021

News - 2020

News - 2019

News - 2018

News - 2017

News - 2016

News - 2015

News - 2014

Keep in touch with the Grantham Research Institute at LSE
Sign up to our newsletters and get the latest analysis, research, commentary and details of upcoming events.