Leon-Fabian Caspari, M.A.

Leon-Fabian Caspari has been a research assistant at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology since January 2026. He is pursuing his doctorate as part of the research project “Climate Adaptation Management in Germany: Adapting to the Effects of Climate Change in Urban Lower Saxony” funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK).

German cities and municipalities are increasingly confronted with the consequences of climate change and are already taking measures to adapt to the risks posed by climate impacts such as heat, heavy rain, flooding, drought, and storms. Leon examines the practice of climate adaptation, focusing on the role that climate adaptation managers play in relation to other actors and entities: What capacity do they have to implement sustainable and socially just adaptation measures and make cities and municipalities more resilient?

Leon studied anthropology and human geography in Göttingen, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and himself works as a climate adaptation manager for the city of Göttingen. His focus is on adapting to increasing heat. He is part of the EU Interreg Project COOL CITIES which aims to reduce heat stress by creating cool and comfortable outdoor spots and routes in cities.

As part of ENLIGHT from July 2021 to April 2024, he coordinated various Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs) together with Elfriede Hermann and in interdisciplinary teams with scientists from other ENLIGHT universities, which deal with the sociocultural impacts and responses to the climate crisis. The focus was on the interactions between climate mitigation, adaptation, and climate justice.

Thematic Interests