Laura Saxer

Laura Saxer works as a research associate at the Department of Natural Hazards at the Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW), focusing on protective forests and natural hazard risk. Laura is also a member of the we4DRR Organisation Team, where she oversees various communication activities (newsletter, LinkedIn account, we4DRR email account), we4DRR events (webinars, annual network meetings, local meetups), and other operational tasks.

Laura has a background in political and environmental social sciences and recently completed an additional master’s degree in physical geography with a focus on natural hazard research. She has gained several years of experience as scientific staff and project manager at various research institutions in international settings.

In the field of DRR, Laura is interested in mountain natural hazards and the effect of nature-based solutions, in particular protective forests, to reduce natural hazard risk and to contribute to the sustainable development of mountain ecosystems.

Laura joined we4DRR in the autumn 2023 through her position at BFW, where she took on operational responsibilities within the we4DRR Organisation Team. As a very sociable person, Laura very much enjoys playing an active role in maintaining a platform that fosters exchange among members. Gender equality has always been a personal priority for her, and she actively promotes equality and works to increase the recognition of women’s achievements in both private and professional settings. As someone relatively new to the field of DRR, Laura gains valuable insights from we4DRR members’ experiences and finds it very uplifting to be part of the we4DRR community.