Dr Annal Dhungana: Breaking the wall of uncertainty communication

Dr Annal Dhungana 
Massey University 

Uncertainty sits at the centre of scientific models, yet it is often ignored or poorly communicated. My research has developed a 3D visual framework that helps communicate where uncertainty comes from (its source), and how large it is (its magnitude). This ‘uncertainty doughnut’ improves transparency, to better inform decision-making for managing the risk of disasters.   

Annal Dhungana is a researcher with over a decade of experience across environmental science, ecosystem services, climate adaptation, and risk management for emergencies and disasters. His PhD work explored scientific uncertainty and its communication. He is focused on understanding how hazards become disasters within societal, economic, and institutional systems. More recently, he has studied uncertainty-informed decision-making, to provide guidance in this era of complex and cascading disasters exacerbated by climate change.