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Rob Bell

Teaching Fellow, Environmental Planning Programme, University of Waikato
Rob Bell has 42 years’ experience in coastal and estuary engineering, risk from coastal hazards, the impacts of climate change on coastal lowland communities and infrastructure and adaptive planning for climate adaptation (including managed retreat).
Rob, formerly with NIWA, was the Lead Author of the 2017 coastal guidance for local government published by NZ’s Ministry for the Environment for planning adaptation to climate change and contributed to the forthcoming 2023 revision. The guidance pivots around the Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning approach to deal with the deepening uncertainty from coastal climate impacts.
Rob was a Contributing Author for the IPCC Working Group II 6th Assessment Report on climate change impacts for Australasia (2022). Rob's primary research interests are coastal hazards, sea-level rise, risk assessments and climate adaptation approaches.
Rob is a certified Resource Management Act Hearings Commissioner and Chartered Professional Engineer (Environmental).

Climate Change Series

Flood protection based on historical records is flawed – we need a risk model fit for climate change

Sep 01, 2023 01:43 am UTC| Nature

Despite countries pouring billions of dollars into protecting communities, flood-related disasters are becoming more frequent and are projected to become even more severe as the climate crisis worsens. In fact, many...

Economy

Why Silver Could Outshine Gold After Its Record Run

Golds recent surge has reaffirmed its role as a safe haven, but history suggests silver could soon take center stage. While gold touched a record high earlier this week, silver, often seen as golds less glamorous cousin,...

MOEX Russia Index Climbs as Oil, Gas, and Telecom Stocks Rally

Russian stocks closed higher on Saturday, driven by gains in the Oil Gas, Power, and Telecom sectors. The MOEX Russia Index rose 2.10% to end the session on a strong note. Top performers included NOVATEK PJSC (MCX:NVTK),...

Saudi Arabia Hits Record $137 Billion in Non-Oil Exports as Vision 2030 Gains Momentum

Saudi Arabias non-oil exports surged to an all-time high of 515 billion riyals ($137.29 billion) in 2024, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The 13% year-on-year increase highlights the kingdoms drive to diversify...

Pakistan Seeks 10 Billion Yuan Swap Boost, Eyes Panda Bond Launch in 2025

Pakistan has requested China to expand its currency swap line by 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb revealed during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington. The country already...

Wall Street Gains on Tech Rally Amid Hopes for U.S.-China Trade Easing

Wall Street closed higher on Friday, lifted by technology shares, as optimism over a potential easing of U.S.-China trade tensions buoyed markets. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) surged 1.7% after surpassing earnings expectations...

Politics

Lee Jae-myung Leads South Korea’s Presidential Race After Political Comeback

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Partys newly named candidate, is leading South Koreas presidential race ahead of the June 3 snap election, following a dramatic political comeback. Once a child laborer, Lee rose to prominence...

Trump Marks 100 Days with Policy Wins, Eyes Trade Deals and Peace Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump is celebrating his first 100 days in office by highlighting major policy shifts and setting ambitious goals for the next phase, White House officials said. Trump, who has moved quickly on...

Young Voters Rally Behind Pierre Poilievre Ahead of Tight Canadian Election

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is gaining strong support from young Canadians as he campaigns on the cost-of-living crisis ahead of Mondays election. At a rally north of Toronto, Poilievre called for change,...

Mahmoud Abbas Names Hussein al-Sheikh as Deputy, Signaling Future Palestinian Leadership Shift

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Hussein al-Sheikh, a longtime confidant, as vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), positioning him as a likely successor. The move, announced on...

U.S. Threatens Livestock Import Ban Over Mexico's Screwworm Control

The Trump administration warned Saturday it would restrict livestock imports from Mexico unless efforts against the New World screwworm pest are intensified. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent a letter to her...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

China Accelerates AI Self-Reliance Amid Nvidia H20 Chip Ban

The U.S. move to tighten export controls on Nvidias H20 chips is adding pressure to Chinas AI sector, but immediate disruption appears limited as domestic firms rapidly pivot to local alternatives. Analysts at Bernstein...

Nintendo Unveils Switch 2 Amid Tariff Concerns and Soaring Demand

Nintendo offered fans an early hands-on experience with its new Switch 2 console at an event near Tokyo on Saturday, as concerns grow that tariffs could push prices higher. Since Mr. Trump became president, tariffs have...

Apple Plans to Shift All U.S. iPhone Production to India Amid China Trade Tensions

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly planning to shift all iPhone assembly for the U.S. market to India as early as next year, in a strategic move to reduce reliance on China amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions,...

Chinese AI Startup Behind Manus Raises $75M, Targets Global Expansion

Chinese AI startup Butterfly Effect, the creator of Manus AI, has raised $75 million in a funding round led by U.S.-based venture capital firm Benchmark, according to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the...

Intel Sees Surge in Older Chip Demand Amid U.S.-China Trade War Fears

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is experiencing a rise in demand for its older-generation PC and server chips as the U.S.-China trade war intensifies, executives revealed after the companys latest earnings release. Economic...