Reuben Makomere

Dr Reuben Makomere

Small Group Project

After Sendai: Governing Global Catastrophic Risks in the Emerging Global Interregnum

This project develops an interdisciplinary research agenda for governing Global catastrophic risks (GCRs) under conditions of systemic international transition. It convenes a small group of researchers at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of Cambridge, to advance theoretical and empirical approaches to cooperation, legitimacy, and coordination during what can be understood as a global interregnum — a period marked by institutional inertia, contested authority, and heightened uncertainty. Building on an international workshop held in Cambridge in May 2026 and an associated forthcoming peer-reviewed special issue on catastrophic risk and global political change, the project will establish an epistemic network of scholars and practitioners — the After Sendai Risk Network (ASRN) — over a twelve-month period.

More information

Areas of interest

Africa Diplomacy Oceans Law Policymaking Governance Ecology Climate Change Climate Crisis Development Risk

Cohort

FG12

Biography

Reuben is a University Associate at the University of Tasmania, Faculty of Law. He is also the Africa Programme Lead/Policy and Legal Research Fellow at the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance) with extensive experience in research, international diplomacy, law, and policy design. In these roles, he is leading research into governance responses to socio-ecological risks associated with climate-ocean change. His role also involves designing and negotiating the development of relevant institutional arrangements at sub-national, national, regional, and international levels.

With a focus on institutional design, law, and governance broadly conceived, his expertise encompasses multiple pivotal domains, including ocean acidification (OA), climate change, and developmental governance. In his current role, he examines the role and design of institutional frameworks in managing global risks associated with climate-ocean change across scales. He holds a PhD in Law (distinction) from the University of Tasmania, and has studied and worked in several continents, including Africa, Asia, and Australia. His latest book is Africa’s Right to Development in a Climate-Constrained World (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023, co-authored).

Biographical details correct as of 22.09.26