University of Wollongong researcher, Dr Hamish Clarke is a tall poppy - and proud of it.
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Dr Clarke has been named as a recipient of a 2021 Tall Poppy Science Award. The awards recognise the achievements of Australian scientists in activities to promote interest in science among school students and teachers and as an appreciation of science in the broader community.
Dr Clarke has been actively researching what drives bushfire risk in Australia and around the world, and how we can respond to it. He works closely with the frontline fire agencies and studies prescribed burning effects on risk mitigation, fire weather, ignition causes and fuel moisture.
"Fire weather was particularly bad during the 2019-20 fire season, yet it also fit a long-term trend of worsening conditions in many parts of Australia, which could get even worse under climate change," Dr Clarke said.
"Prescribed burning can reduce bushfire risk, but it's not a silver bullet. By measuring benefits and costs of planned burning, we are trying to help fire managers compare the effectiveness of different strategies and understand trade-offs."
Dr Clarke's work covers a range of areas such as fire ecology, climate science and environmental risk management. He also developed the Four Friends of Fire, a cartoon that explains the key drivers of fire.
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