The Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, established in 1985, is a research center affiliated with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Engaging students and faculty throughout the University in collaborations, research projects, and other partnerships, the Center is recognized worldwide as a leader in risk-related research and policy analysis. The Risk Center also serves as a bridge between scholars at Penn and organizations and decision-makers in the public and private sectors.
Learn more about our five Research Labs by visiting their pages here.
The Cost of Wildfires
With projections for another intense wildfire season following a very dry winter, wildfires have already been raging across the West Coast. Risk Center researchers have compiled an overview of direct and indirect costs of wildfires.
Scaling up Coastal Ecosystem Protection
In our fifth Digital Dialogue, fourteen experts weigh in on what financial measures and policies are most successful for scaling coastal ecosystem protection.
Making a Case for Climate Change Adaptation
The long history of climate risk research that the Risk Center has done is highlighted in the Spring/Summer 2020 Issue of the Wharton Magazine.
The world continues to struggle with the spread of the novel coronavirus and the impacts are rippling through the global economy. Sound risk management is more important than ever. At the Wharton Risk Center, we engage with our partners to meaningfully support management of evolving threats, such as this one.
Risk Center resources and contributions from our scholars will be added to the site as made available. See the resources here.
Featured Publications
In the News
A Climate Resilience Roadmap for the Next Administration
Medium
“Public policy plays a critical role in either attenuating or magnifying the economic costs of climate change. It is time to put the United States on a path toward climate resilience.” Executive Director, Carolyn Kousky, offers an 8-part federal policy agenda for the new Biden Harris administration to consider.
Low-Income Households Should Be Prioritized After Disaster Strikes
The Hill
Op-Ed by Carolyn Kousky and Urban Institute’s Carlos Martin: “Low-income households too often slip through the cracks of relief and recovery assistance. In many cases, this is by design. Our disaster policies do not provide equitable help, leaving those most in need with insufficient resources to respond and rebuild.”
Mortgage Lenders Face Increasing Risks From Sea-Level Rise
Yale Climate Connections
“If you put more of the cost of risk on the individual landowner, which would help them make better decisions and presumably discourage development in the riskiest areas and encourage safer development,” Kousky says, “you’re also contributing to a big inequality problem at the coast.” Carolyn Kousky and Ben Keys comment on risk-based pricing and financial decisions.
How COVID-19 Can Help Improve Your Company’s Risk Management
BRINK
“Based on a study of catastrophic risk management in a range of firms before the coronavirus, we suggest several courses of action for those facing COVID-19.” Risk Center Co-Director Howard Kunreuther and Affiliated Scholar Michael Useem discuss lessons presented in their book Mastering Catastrophic Risk in this opinion piece.
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Wharton Risk Management
and Decision Processes Center
St. Leonard’s Court | Suite 130
3819 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
P: 215-898-5688
F: 215-573-2130