Biography
I am Assistant Professor of Disasters and Humanitarian Studies. I have studied and worked in humanitarian assistance/aid, disaster governance, and environmental sociology for almost twenty years, especially in conflict-affected and vulnerable settings. I lecture on humanitarian action, disaster risk reduction, methodology, and safety and security for in-situ/fieldwork research.
At the moment, I have a particular interest in researching the compound effects and challenges of climate change, protracted crises, and displacement for humanitarian aid and disaster response and disaster risk reduction (DRR). I am also interested in the ethical, safety, and security aspects of (fieldwork/in-situ) research.
In ISS I also co-coordinate the Humanitarian Governance (HUM-GOV) project, financed by a European Research Council (ERC) advanced grant. This project explores the changing dynamics of humanitarian governance with a focus on civil society actors and crisis-affected people.
I serve as a Board Member of the International Humanitarian Studies Association (IHSA) and the Expertise Centre Humanitarian Communication (HumCom). Also as convener of the Peace and Ecology in the Anthropocene commission at the International Peace Research Association (IPRA). I also serve as a reviewer in leading journals and often take research, monitoring and evaluation, and advisory consultancy work. This allows me to develop action research and stay close to the experiences and processes taking place in my fields of study.
Before my current position at ISS, I worked as a researcher, project manager, and consultant with local and international NGOs, the United Nations, Governmental organisations, and in the private sector. I have also been an academic, lecturer, and visiting professor at various universities; led humanitarian aid groups; and researched in-situ the occurrence of several conflicts, crises, and natural hazard-related disasters. As a researcher and practitioner, my work has taken me to multiple complex and disaster-prone places, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chile, Jordan, Peru, South Sudan, Uganda, and Yemen.
I hold a PhD in Humanitarian Action and Disaster Governance from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam, an MA in Environmental Studies from the University of Melbourne, and a BA in Sociology and a BA in Political Science from the A. Hurtado University. I also hold diplomas in Quantitative Multivariable Analysis, Environmental Impact Assessment, Public Policy, and Sustainable Development. Regarding applied research, I have experience and training in the development of fieldwork in hostile, complex and remote areas, with certifications by the United Nations, Red Cross, Centre for Safety and Development, GCORE, and RedR.
International Institute of Social Studies
- mena@iss.nl
- Room
- I4-05
- Location
- Kortenaerkade 12, 's - Gravenhage
Work
- Mausumi Moran Chetia, Rodrigo Mena, Kaira Zoe Alburo-Canete & Hyeonggeun Ji (2022) - Multiple Perspectives, Cultivating Communities: Reflections on the NEEDS 2022 Conference - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena, Summer Brown, Laura E.R. Peters, Ilan Kelman & Hyeonggeun Ji (2022) - Connecting Disasters and Climate Change to the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus - Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, 17 (3), 324-340 - doi: 10.1177/15423166221129633 - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena, Juan Ricardo Aparicio & Gabriela Villacis Izquierdo (2022) - Humanitarian action in Latin America: Same but different? - [link]
- Mohamed Abdiaziz Muse & Rodrigo Mena (2022) - How combatting illicit financial flows can prevent remittances from helping people during humanitarian crises: a closer look at Afghanistan - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann & Kristin Bergtora Sandvik (2022) - Humanitarismo digital en una guerra cinética: El caso de Ucrania - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena & Dorothea Hilhorst (2022) - The transition from development and disaster risk reduction to humanitarian relief: the case of Yemen during high-intensity conflict - Disasters, 46 (4), 1049-1074 - doi: 10.1111/disa.12521 - [link]
- Dorothea Hilhorst, Samantha Melis, Rodrigo Mena & Roanne Van Voorst (2022) - Erratum: Accountability in Humanitarian Action (Refugee Survey Quarterly (2021) 40:4 (363-389) DOI: 10.1093/rsq/hdab015) - Refugee Survey Quarterly, 41 (2), 342-346 - doi: 10.1093/rsq/hdac001 - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena & Kristin Bergtora Sandvik (2022) - Digital Humanitarianism in a Kinetic War: Taking Stock of Ukraine - [link]
- Thea Hilhorst & Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2022) - What we don’t talk about when we talk about using sanctions to end the war in Ukraine - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann & Thea Hilhorst (2022) - Path dependency when prioritising disaster and humanitarian response under high levels of conflict: a qualitative case study in South Sudan - Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 7 (5), 1 - doi: 10.1186/s41018-021-00111-w
- Thea Hilhorst, Samantha Melis, Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann & Roanne van Voorst (2021) - Accountability in Humanitarian Action - Refugee Survey Quarterly, 40 (4), 363-389 - doi: 10.1093/rsq/hdab015 - [link]
- Thea Hilhorst & Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2021) - Keeping Africans out: Injustice following wilful neglect and the politisation of Covid-19 measures - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann & Thea Hilhorst (2021) - The development–humanitarian nexus: Linking development and disaster risk reduction with relief in Yemen as a case of high-intensity conflict - Disasters - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena & Dorothea Hilhorst (2021) - Ethical considerations of disaster research in conflict-affected areas - Disaster Prevention and Management, 31 (3), 304-318 - doi: 10.1108/DPM-03-2021-0075 - [link]
- Summer Brown & Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2021) - A review of the triple nexus approach in discourse and practice: with a focus on Islamic Relief’s triple nexus programme - [link]
- Dorothea Hilhorst & Rodrigo Mena (2021) - When Covid-19 meets conflict: politics of the pandemic response in fragile and conflict-affected states - Disasters, 45 (S1), S174-S194 - doi: 10.1111/disa.12514 - [link]
- Linda Johnson & Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2021) - Risk dumping in field research: some researchers are safer than others - [link]
- Thea Hilhorst, MJ Vervest, Isabelle Desportes, Samantha Melis, Rodrigo Mena & R Van Voorst (2021) - Strengthening community resilience in conflict - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2020) - Disasters in Conflict: Understanding disaster governance, response, and risk reduction during high-intensity conflict in South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Yemen - [link]
- Rodrigo Mena & Kristen Cheney (13 January 2022) - Research ethics: what it is and why it matters
- Z (Zeynep) Kasli, M (Marieke) van Houte, R (Rodrigo) Mena Fluhmann, DJM (Thea) Hilhorst & HM (Helen) Hintjens (5 September 2021) - Don't let our university researchers and students suffocate in Afghanistan
- Rodrigo Mena (11 April 2021) - Trenches & Tragedy – Reducing Disaster Risk In Conflict Zones
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2022) - From addressing to ending needs: the promises and perils of linking humanitarian action and development agendas
- Rodrigo Mena (2022) - Armed Conflict as Disaster Risk Creator: Challenges and opportunities
- Liesa Sauerhammer & Rodrigo Mena (2022) - German Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2022
- Rodrigo Mena (2022) - 18th Development Dialogue Conference
- Rodrigo Mena (2022) - Unnaturalising disasters with care: #NoNaturalDisasters in places affected by (violent) conflict
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2022) - Taking Stock of Ukrain: Digital Humanitarianism in a Kinetic War
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2022) - “Building resilience to disasters in light of the SDG agenda: the role of cities and communities”.
- Rodrigo Mena & Annika Schmeding (2022) - Bargaining Access and Security during In Situ Research
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann & Fredric Ramel (2021) - Round table: Lost in Quantification? Armed Conflict Databases and Humanitarian Practices
- Dorothea Hilhorst, Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann, Samantha Melis & Roanne van Voorst (2021) - Accountability in Humanitarian Action
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2022) - Best EGSH Teacher 2021
- Rodrigo Mena (2022) - Best Overall Project, Erasmus Impact Journey
- Rodrigo Mena (2022) - Best Pitch, Erasmus Impact Journey
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2013) - Environmental Graduate Award, University of Melbourne
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2011) - Becas Chile Scholarship for Master Studies
- Rodrigo Mena Fluhmann (2006) - Academic Research Scholarship for Excellence
Major GDP
- Year
- 2022
- Course Code
- ISS-GDP-22-23
4227 Humanitarian Action
- Year
- 2022
- Course Code
- ISS-4227-22-23
4152 Development Policies and Practice
- Year
- 2022
- Course Code
- ISS-4152-22-23