Welcome to the VOCAD (Voluntary Labour, Climate Adaptation and Disasters) website. VOCAD is a research initiative from Northumbria University’s Centre for Global Development.

VOCAD investigates the ways individuals and organisations mobilise voluntary labour in their approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster response. 

Volunteers have become increasingly central to policy making for humanitarian crises and sustainable development. At the same time, myriad forms of voluntary labour form part of community led responses to the challenges they face.
In this context, it is important to build a body of evidence and critical understanding of the role of voluntary work in the context of the climate emergency. 

This is needed to ensure that the voluntary work communities already take is recognised, including where this may place additional burdens them. 

It is also important so that governments, civil society organisations and private sector actors engage volunteers fairly, equitably and effectively in efforts to adapt to a changing climate or respond to disasters.

On this website you can find out about VOCAD projects as they are developed. You can also access resources as these become available. Please get in touch if you are developing research in this area – we would love to hear from you.