To celebrate the first anniversary of Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, the journal asked six researchers investigating Earth surface processes to outline notable developments within their discipline and provide thoughts on important work yet to be done.

Among the scientists offering insights into some of the key advances and exciting future prospects in their areas of expertise was MRI SLC member Professor Irasema Alcántara-Ayala, whose research seeks to understand the root causes and drivers of disaster risk, and to promote an integrated research perspective.

"One clear message is that, since the last half of the twentieth century, in consonance with the character of the Anthropocene, phenomena that appeared to have been natural are seen and understood as processes shaped by human actions." - Professor Irasema Alcántara-Ayala.

In her response, Alcántara-Ayala stresses a need for greater transdisciplinary efforts towards integrated science-based policymaking. "Co-production of knowledge and co-decision-making, notably in the form of integrated disaster risk reduction and its domain of praxis, thus, should play a cardinal role in shaping the future prospects in surface processes landslide-related research," says Alcántara-Ayala "It would, of course, be inaccurate to overemphasize the potential influence of science in policymaking without having examined the skills and capability of disaster risk stakeholders to develop effective application of knowledge, and, most importantly, without any thoughts on the convoluted inherent hindrances of disaster risk governance."

The full responses of all six researchers can be found in the Nature Reviews Earth & Environment article 'Reflections on Earth Surface Research.'

Read more: Alcántara-Ayala, I. et al. 'Reflections on Earth Surface Research.' Nature Reviews Earth & Environment  (2021): https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-00125-9

Cover image by WaSZI.