© Simon Terweh/GIUB

Dr. Rainer Bell

Post doc

Research Associate in the Research Group "Geomorphology and
Environmental Systems”

Research interests/regions

  • Integrative natural hazard and risk analysis and management, cascading hazards and risks
  • Mountain geomorphology, landslides, floods, permafrost
  • Early warning systems
  • GIS, Remote sensing and spatial analysis in general
  • Himalayas (Nepal), Andes, Austria, Germany, Norway, Iceland, China

Teaching (at Universities of Bonn, Vienna and Klagenfurt)

  • GIS courses including remote sensing (topics: geomorphology, natural hazard and risk modelling)
  • Field courses in geomorphology
  • Courses on Earth System Science and Global Environmental Change
  • Introductory courses to geomorphology and physical geography
  • Field trips (e.g. Nepal, Romania, European Alps, SW-Germany, Eifel/Rheinland)
  • KaVoMa course: Multi hazards and risk analysis
Avatar Bell

Dr. Rainer Bell

+49 228 73-60722

0.029 (154)

Meckenheimer Allee 166

53115 Bonn

© Friederike Pauk /GIUB

Office hours: by arrangement

Curriculum vitae

Since 2021: Post-Doc at Department of Geography, University of Bonn

2017-2020: Post-Doc at Department of Geography, University of Innsbruck (part time)

2017 and 2019-2021: External lecturer at Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Klagenfurt, Austria

Since 2015: Lecturer in the study course Master of Disaster Management and Risk Governance, University of Bonn and the BBK (Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance)

Since 2015: Editor at Dr. C. Pana Buchverlag, Langscheid

Since 2014: Freelancer

2007-2013: Post-Doc at Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Austria

2003-2007: Phd-student at Department of Geography, University of Bonn – title of the PhD thesis: “Lokale und regionale Gefahren- und Risikoanalyse gravitativer Massenbewegungen an der Schwäbischen Alb” (Local and regional landslide hazard and risk analysis in the Swabian Alb, Germany)

1998-2002: Studies of Geography, Geology and Soil Science at University of Bonn – title of the Diploma Thesis: “Landslide and snow avalanche risk analysis – methodology and its application in Bíldudalur, NW-Iceland”

1996-1998: Studies of Geography, Geology and Soil Science at the Universities of Cologne and Bonn

  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geomorphologie (DGGM)
  • Deutscher Arbeitskreis für Naturgefahren und Naturrisiken (AK Naturgefahren/Naturrisiken)
  • European Geoscience Union (EGU)
  • Österreichische Geographische Gesellschaft (ÖGG)
  • Österreichische Forschungsgruppe für Geomorphologie und Umweltwandel

For ongoing projects please visit the research page here.

Completed projects

  • Resilience of tourism systems to natural hazards in the Himalayas (touRES) (2017-2020, Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW))
  • Susceptibility map for debris flows, debris slides and soil slides in Western Norway, Trøndelag and Agder, (Norway) (2014-2017, Norwegian water resources and energy directorate (NVE), in collaboration with Norwegian Geotechnial Institute (NGI)
  • Deriving landslide metrics and analysing landslide age based on surface roughness from Airborne Laser Scanning Digital Terrain Models (2013)
  • Development of methods for the landslide hazard assessment in Lower Austria (MoNOE) (2009-2014, Province of Lower Austria, Austria)
  • Integrated landslide early warning systems (ILEWS) (2007-2010, BMBF)
  • Integrative Landslide Risk Analysis and Perception in the Swabian Alb, Germany (InterRISK) (2003-2007, DFG)

The Kagbeni flood event (August 13, 2023), Mustang District (Nepal): Triggers, sediment cascades, aggravating infrastructures and disaster risk management.

Fort, M., Gurung, N., Yvrard, P., Bell, R., Burrows, K., Rimal, B. & Arnaud-Fassetta, G. (2025)

In: Géomorphologie : relief, processus, environnement 31, 4. DOI: 10.4000/154up.

Mapping forest-covered landslides using Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA), Jena region, Germany.

Zangana, I., Bell, R., Drăguţ, L., Sîrbu, F. & Schrott, L. (2025)

In: Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 25, 12. S. 4787-4806. doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-4787-2025

Factors Influencing Mental Burden Caused by Flooding: Insights from the 2021 Flood in the Ahr Valley (Germany)

Klör, T., Bubeck, P., Bell, R. & Thieken, A. H. (2025)

Journal of Flood Risk Management 18, 4. S. e70116. doi: 10.1111/jfr3.70116

Dos Lenguas rock glacier kinematics stable despite warming trend (2016–2024): Surface changes and the role of topography and climate in the Dry Andes of Argentina

Stammler, M., Blöthe, J., Flöck, F., Bell, R. & Schrott, L. (2025)

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 50, 11. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.70151

Spatial patterns and bridge collapse interactions of erosional processes due to the 2021 Ahr valley flood

Weidt, F., Bell, R., Schrott, L., Brenning, A., Dietze, M., Burghardt, L. & Groeßer, J. (2025)

Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Permafrost. 16-20 June 2024, Whitehorse, Canada. doi: 10.52381/ICOP2024.151.1

Other publications

Edited book:

  • Bell, R., Mayer, J., Pohl, J., Greiving, S. & Glade, T. (2010) (Eds.): Integrative Frühwarnsysteme für gravitative Massenbewegungen (ILEWS). Monitoring, Modellierung, Implementierung. Klartext Verlag, Essen, 271 S. (available at: https://www.univie.ac.at/ilews/www.ilews.de/ilews-buch/index.html, 05.12.2020)

 

Monographs:

  • Bell, R. (2007): Lokale und regionale Gefahren- und Risikoanalyse gravitativer Massenbewegungen an der Schwäbischen Alb. Dissertation, Universität Bonn, 305 S. (avialable at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/3113)
  • Bell, R. (2002): Landslide and snow avalanche risk analysis – methodology and its application in Bíldudalur, NW-Iceland. Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Geographisches Institut, Universität Bonn, 135 S.

 

Invited talks (selected):

  • Bell, R. (2021): Die Flutkatastrophe im Ahrtal (Juli 2021). Hintergründe – Ursachen – Konsequenzen. Bonner Netzwerks Internationaler Katastrophenschutz und Risikomanagement, 29.11.2021.
  • Gurung, N. Fort, M., Bell, R., Arnaud-Fassetta, G. (2021): Study of Geo-hazards in Kali Gandaki valley, Nepal Himalaya and way forward. Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Kathmandu, Nepal, 27.01.2021.
  • Bell, R. (2019): Umgang mit multiplen Naturgefahren und Naturrisiken bei Kritischen Infrastrukturen. DACH Naturgefahren Workshop. ÖBB, SBB, Rhätische Bahn und DB Netz AG. München, 13.05.2019.
  • Bell, R. (2019): Naturgefahren in Nepal – Risiken und Resilienz. WIWI aktuell, WIWI Fakultät, Institut für Geographie und Regionalforschung, Universität Klagenfurt, Universität Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Österreich, 19.06.2019.