University of St Andrews academic supports UN disaster response

Dr Tun Jan (TJ) Young, Lecturer in Physical Geography in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development, is travelling to Mozambique as part of an emergency United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) mission responding to severe flooding that has displaced more than half a million people.

Dr Young, who volunteers with the UK‑based humanitarian charity MapAction, will provide real‑time geospatial analysis and mapping to support aid coordination on the ground. MapAction is one of UNDAC’s operational partners, supplying critical maps, data visualisation and spatial analysis during major disasters to help agencies make rapid, evidence‑based decisions.

Dr Young joined MapAction in 2023, inspired by colleagues who had responded to major disasters such as the Nepal earthquake. The role is entirely voluntary and requires regular national training exercises to ensure readiness for deployment.

A trained Geospatial Volunteer, Dr Young supports humanitarian responses by producing situational maps, identifying spatial trends and helping teams understand fast‑changing conditions. While he has previously supported responses virtually, including during Hurricane Beryl in 2024, this will be his first in‑person deployment.

Dr Young said: “Although my academic research focuses on geophysical glaciology, I have deployed to harsh and far-flung regions on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, and for some of these expeditions I was the team leader. In these deployments, I often have had to make quick decisions on the spot and so my experience in these high-stress and high-pressure situations has operational parallels with the situations that we are deploying with MapAction.”

The Mozambique mission will support coordination of food assistance, emergency shelter, WASH services, health provision and protection measures, including safeguarding against gender‑based violence.

Dr Young said: “Maps bring clarity to chaos. My goal is simply to get to work, be useful, digest the data quickly and help the response team make informed decisions. Effective disaster response depends on good information, and that’s what we’re there to provide.”

Dr Young also teaches SD4128 Coordinating a Humanitarian Response, a practical module that trains students to apply GIS and data‑driven decision making in simulated disaster scenarios. The course culminates in a two‑week ‘SimEx’ exercise, designed to mirror the unpredictability and urgency of real deployments.