University of Wollongong
Research Field: Bushfire, Climate Change
Bushfires are a part of life. Not just in Australia, but all over the world. If we’re going to live with fire, we’d better get to know it.
Dr Clarke studies bushfire risk; the chance of something bad happening due to fire. He examines prescribed burning effects on bushfire size, weather patterns, ignition causes and climate change effects on fuel moisture.
Hamish created the Four Friends of Fire, an animation explaining the key drivers of bushfire risk with over 20,000 views and he created a follow up video on climate change effects on bushfire risk. He led the development of the Prescribed Burning Atlas, a tool for fire managers to understand and compare the effects of different prescribed burning strategies. He also co-founded Science at the Local, a community science series in the Blue Mountains and spoke with ABC Local Radio after the launch of the latest IPCC Report in 2021, discussing the implications for bushfire risk
Dr Clarke completed his PhD at the University of NSW in 2015. He is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Wollongong.