Lars Wirkus
Function: Senior Management \ Head of Research Infrastructure and Data
Phone: +49 228 911 96-63; mobile +49 (0)151 42017131
E-Mail: lars.wirkus(at)bicc.de
Phone: +49 228 911 96-63; mobile +49 (0)151 42017131
E-Mail: lars.wirkus(at)bicc.de
Key expertise
Spatial analysis, geographic information systems, design and implementation of interactive databases and websites, data analysis & visualization, research data management, project management, environment & conflict, climate change & conflict.
As part of the senior management team, Lars Wirkus as Head of Research Infrastructure and Data coordinates and is responsible for research data management, information and communication technology (ICT), BICC's web and information services for BICC researchers and the public.
(Academic) education / CV:
Dipl.-Geographer 2000 (University-Diplom, Graduate Geographer, equivalent to MA)
In January 2021 Lars Wirkus joined BICC’s senior management as the Head of Research Infrastructure and Data.
Lars Wirkus started his academic career at BICC with studies on base conversion in the year 2000. Then, his research extensively focused for many years on natural resources and violent conflicts, institutional aspects of water resources management, the micro level analysis of water resources-related conflicts and more recently on climate change. From 2007 to early 2011, Lars worked on a part-time basis as Senior Researcher with BICC and as a Research Associate with the United Nations University–Institute for Environment and Human Security.
Between 2011 and 2020 Lars hold the position as head of Data and Geomatics. Lars’s focus has since been on developing and implementing various interactive databases- and WebGIS-based knowledge-sharing information applications on topics such as arms exports, small arms control, physical security and stockpile management, global militarization, war & peace and refugee research. More recently, he has started to research the potential and limits of remote sensing approaches for analyzing and monitoring peace and conflict.
Important Publications:
- Sterly, H., Etzold, B., Wirkus, L., Sakdapolrak, P., Schleussner, C.-F., & Hennig, B. (2019). Assessing refugees’ onward mobility with mobile phone data—A case study of (Syrian) refugees in Turkey. In A. Salah, A. Pentland, B. Lepri, & E. Letouzé (Eds.), Guide to mobile data analytics in refugee scenarios (pp. 251-263). Cham: Springer.
- Mager, A., Wirkus, L., & Schoepfer, E. (2016). Impact assessment of oil exploitation in South Sudan using multi-temporal landsat imagery. Photogrammetrie – Fernerkundung – Geoinformation(4), 211-223.
- Tomaszewski, B., Judex, M., Szarzynski, J., Radestock, C., & Wirkus, L. (2015). Geographic information systems for disaster response: A review. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 12(3), 571-602.
- Wirkus, L. (2015). An open source WebGIS application for civic education on peace and conflict . International Journal of Geo-Information, 4(2), 1013–1032.
- Renaud, F., & Wirkus, L. (2012). Water, climate change and human security: Conflict and migration. In H. Bigas, T. Morris, B. Sandford, & Z. Adeel (Eds.), The global water crisis. Addressing an urgent security issue. Papers for the Interaction Council 2011-2012 (pp. 334-45). Hamilton: UNU-INWEH.
- Kramm, J., Lecoutere, E., & Wirkus, L. (2012). Water and conflict prevention (Microcon Policy Briefing 16). Brighton: Microcon.
- Wirkus, L., & Swatuk, L. (Eds.). (2009). Transboundary water governance in Southern Africa. Baden-Baden: Nomos.
- Wirkus, L., & Vollmer, R. (Eds.). (2008, July). Monitoring environment and security: Integrating concepts and enhancing methodologies (Brief series No. 37). Bonn: BICC.
Recent Publications:
- Navarro, R., Wirkus, L., & Dubovyk, O. (2023). Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Olive Orchard Intensification in the Saïss Plain (Morocco) Using k-Means and High-Resolution Satellite Data. Remote Sensing, 15(1), 1-24.
- Kemmerling, B., Schetter, C., & Wirkus, L. (2023). Addressing Food Crises in Violent Conflicts. In J. von Braun, K. Afsana, & M. H. Hassan (Eds.), Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation (pp. 217-228). Cham: Springer.
- Kemmerling, B., Schetter, C., & Wirkus, L. (2022). The logics of war and food (in)security. Global Food Security, 33, 100634.
- Heinemann-Grüder, A., Polianskii, M., Rogova, V., Schetter, C., & Wirkus, L. (2021). Bewaffnete Konflikte: Krieg in Osteuropa. In BICC, HSFK, IFSH, & INEF (Eds.), Friedensgutachten 2021 (pp. 48-73). Bielefeld: transcript.
- Kemmerling, B., Schetter, C., & Wirkus, L. (2021). Addressing food crises in violent conflicts (Food System Summit Brief April 2021). Bonn: Scientific Group for the Food Systems Summit.
- Daase, C., Hofmann, G., Dembinski, M., Gromes, T., & Wirkus, L. (2020). Bewaffnete Konflikte: Friedensmissionen müssen neu austariert werden. In BICC, HSFK, IFSH, & INEF (Eds.), Friedensgutachten 2020 (pp. 45-69). Bielefeld: transcript.
- Benner, A.-K., Brzoska, M., Kohler, C., Kroll, S., Rothe, D., Scheffran, J., Schetter, C., Schröder, U., & Wirkus, L. (2020). Friedenspolitik in Zeiten des Klimawandels. In BICC, HSFK, IFSH, & INEF (Eds.), Friedensgutachten 2020 (pp. 25-43). Bielefeld: transcript.
- Swatuk, L., Thomas, B. K., Wirkus, L., Krampe, F., & Batista da Silva, L. (2020). The ‘boomerang effect’: Insights for improved climate action. Climate and Development, 13(1), 61-67.
- Wirkus, L., & Piereder, J. (2019). Early warning systems for drought and violent conflict – toward potential cross-pollination. In E. Mapedza, D. Tsegai, M. Bruntrup, & R. Mcleman (Eds.), Drought challenges: Policy options for developing countries. Current directions in water scarcity research, Vol. 2 (pp. 165-181). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
- Sterly, H., Etzold, B., Wirkus, L., Sakdapolrak, P., Schleussner, C.-F., & Hennig, B. (2019). Assessing refugees’ onward mobility with mobile phone data—A case study of (Syrian) refugees in Turkey. In A. Salah, A. Pentland, B. Lepri, & E. Letouzé (Eds.), Guide to mobile data analytics in refugee scenarios (pp. 251-263). Cham: Springer.
- Bethke, F., Meininghaus, E., Mielke, K., Mutschler, M., Schetter, C., & Wirkus, L. (2019). Bewaffnete Konflikte: Stabilisierung darf keine Interessenpolitik sein. In BICC, HSFK, IFSH, & INEF (Eds.), Friedensgutachten 2019 (pp. 45-69). Berlin: LIT.
- Kleist, J., Engler, M., Etzold, B., Mielke, K., Oltmer, J., Pott, A., Schetter, C., & Wirkus, L. (2019). Abschlussbericht – Flucht- und Flüchtlingsforschung in Deutschland: Eine Bestandsaufnahme. Osnabrück: IMIS/BICC.
- Sterly, H., Etzold, B., Wirkus, L., Sakdapolrak, P., Schewe, J., Schleussner, C.-F., & Henning, B. (2019). AROMA_CoDa: Assessing refugees’ onward mobility through the analysis of communication data. In Proceedings of the data for refugee challenge workshop (pp. 70-82). Istanbul: Boğaziçi University.
- Swatuk, L., Wirkus, L., Krampe, F., Thomas, B. K., & Batista da Silva, L. (2018). The boomerang effect: overview and implications for climate governance. In L. Swatuk, & L. Wirkus (Eds.), Water, climate change and the boomerang effect. Unintentional consequences for resource insecurity (pp. 1-19). New York: Routledge.
- Shah, N. Y., Wirkus, L., & Swatuk, L. (2018). Can climate change challenges unite a divided Jordan River basin?. In L. Swatuk, & L. Wirkus (Eds.), Water, climate change and the boomerang effect. Unintentional consequences for resource insecurity (pp. 121-139). New York: Routledge.
- Swatuk, L., & Wirkus, L. (Eds.). (2018). Water, climate change and the boomerang effect. Unintentional consequences for resource insecurity.. New York: Routledge.
- von Boemcken, M., Meininghaus, E., Mielke, K., Schetter, C., Schlüsing, C., Trancart, C., & Wirkus, L. (2018). Bewaffnete Konflikte: Deutsche Stabilisierungspolitik auf dem Prüfstand. In BICC, HSFK, IFSH, & INEF (Eds.), Friedensgutachten 2018 (pp. 43-63). Berlin: LIT.
- Mager, A., Wirkus, L., & Schoepfer, E. (2016). Impact assessment of oil exploitation in South Sudan using multi-temporal landsat imagery. Photogrammetrie – Fernerkundung – Geoinformation(4), 211-223.
- Tomaszewski, B., Judex, M., Szarzynski, J., Radestock, C., & Wirkus, L. (2015). Geographic information systems for disaster response: A review. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 12(3), 571-602.
- Wirkus, L. (2015). An open source WebGIS application for civic education on peace and conflict . International Journal of Geo-Information, 4(2), 1013–1032.
- Wirkus, L. (2012). Auf zu neuen Nutzungen! Die Konversion militärischer Liegenschaften als Chance für die Kommunen. Zivilarena. http://portal.zivilarena.de/index.php/magazine/article/view/12.
- Wirkus, L. (2012). Ländlicher Raum kommt schlecht weg. Städte- und Gemeinderat (7-8 2012), 6-8.
- Renaud, F., & Wirkus, L. (2012). Water, climate change and human security: Conflict and migration. In H. Bigas, T. Morris, B. Sandford, & Z. Adeel (Eds.), The global water crisis. Addressing an urgent security issue. Papers for the Interaction Council 2011-2012 (pp. 334-45). Hamilton: UNU-INWEH.
- Kramm, J., Lecoutere, E., & Wirkus, L. (2012). Water and conflict prevention (Microcon Policy Briefing 16). Brighton: Microcon.
- Wirkus, L. (2011). Liegenschaftskonversion reloaded. Friedens Forum: Zeitschrift der Friedensbewegung 4(2011), 48-50.
- Kramm, J., & Wirkus, L. (2010). Local water governance: Negotiating water access and resolving resource conflicts in Tanzanian irrigation schemes (MICROCON Research Working Paper 33). Brighton: MICROCON.
- Wirkus, L. (2010). Climate change, hydro-conflicts and human security – Initial policy reflections from the CLICO project.
- Wirkus, L., & Warner, K. (2009). Evidence of the impacts of climate change on human security in Africa, with reference to migration and water-related conflict.
- Vollmer, R., Ardakanian, R., Hare, M., Leentvaar, J., van der Schaaf, C., & Wirkus, L. (2009). Institutional capacity development in transboundary water management.
- Wirkus, L., & Swatuk, L. (Eds.). (2009). Transboundary water governance in Southern Africa. Baden-Baden: Nomos.
- Swatuk, L., & Wirkus, L. (2009). Transboundary water governance in Southern Africa: Beyond the state. In L. Swatuk, & L. Wirkus (Eds.), Transboundary water governance in Southern Africa – Examining underexplored dimension (Reihe Sustainable peace and global security governance) (pp. 197-207). Baden-Baden: Nomos.
- Swatuk, L., & Wirkus, L. (2009). Transboundary water governance in Southern Africa: An indroduction. In L. Swatuk, & L. Wirkus (Eds.), Transboundary water governance in Southern Africa – Ecamining underexplored dimension (Reihe Sustainable Peace abd Global Security Governance) (pp. 11-29). Baden-Baden: Nomos.
- Wirkus, L., & Vollmer, R. (Eds.). (2008, July). Monitoring environment and security: Integrating concepts and enhancing methodologies (Brief series No. 37). Bonn: BICC.
- Wirkus, L. (2006, January). Water, development and cooperation — Comparative perspective: Euphrates-Tigris and Southern Africa (Paper series No. 46). Bonn: BICC.
Projects:
- G-SEXTANT
- Interactive Guide on small arms and light weapons (SALW)
- DITAC (Disaster Training Curriculum)
- System for Monitoring Law Enforcement of Informal Mining (SYMIN)
- Facts and Figures on war and peace—interactive online portal
- Transboundary water management and crisis prevention
- Forced Migration and Refugee Studies: Networking and Knowledge Transfer
- I-WALAMAR Sustainable Transformations in rural Morocco
- Transnational Figurations of Displacement: Connectivity and Mobility as Solutions to Protracted Refugee Situations (TRAFIG)
- Forced Displacement—Research and Transfer: Approaches from peace & conflict studies
- Security, armaments and development in recipient countries of German arms exports
- Base conversion
- Small Arms Control
- Forced migration
