Prescription of Nature-Based Solutions to Cities (UGPN-NBS)
Start date
August 2024End date
July 2025Overview
Led by Professor Prashant Kumar, the Director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) and Co-Director, Institute for Sustainability at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ, researchers from three partner universities – Â鶹ÊÓƵ, University of São Paulo, and North Carolina State University – are collaborating with experts from additional Universities in Brazil, UK, China and Australia. Together, they are advancing world-leading research on nature-based air quality solutions to help mitigate the impacts of environmental challenges on society.
Vision
Cities currently house ~55% of the global population, a figure expected to increase to 68% by 2050. Due to their dense construction and high population density, cities face severe environmental challenges such as high air pollution, urban overheating, flooding, droughts, and loss of biodiversity. These challenges are often addressed in isolation and only when they become prominent. To build resilient cities, implementing sustainable nature-based solutions (NBS) is crucial. This effort necessitates multidisciplinary partnerships to integrate innovative monitoring, modelling, AI, and citizen science methods, driving a significant paradigm shift.
UGPN-NBS aims to tackle the multidisciplinary challenge of urban sustainability and climate resilience in the UK, US and Brazilian cities using the NBS, and directly address the : ; ; ; ; and .
Objectives
The overall objective of is to create a methodological framework for prescribing NBS through a diverse range of 51 green-blue infrastructure types. This framework aims to balance functionality, performance, and co-benefits in the future planning of megacities like Sao Paulo, growing cities like Raleigh, and typical towns like Guildford. Specific objectives (SO) include:
- [SO1] Build a global UGPN network for NBS applications in cities, including UGPN partners and external collaborators and policy makers across the globe
- [SO2] Develop case studies on the multifunctionality of NBS benefits for preparing bespoke prescriptions to NBS deprived areas
- [SO3] Foster staff-student exchange to share knowledge, best practices and the experiences for developing a vibrant NBS community
- [SO4] Exploit the project findings and network to write joint publications, develop new ideas for project proposals for applying to bi/trilateral international grants.
Funding amount
$30,000
Funder
Related sustainable development goals
Team
Lead principal investigator
Professor Prashant Kumar
Director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) & Co-Director, Institute for Sustainability, School of Sustainability, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Â鶹ÊÓƵ
See profileCo-principal investigators
Professor Maria de Fatima Andrade
Professor at the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Dr Rajan Parajuli
Associate professor of forest economics and policy in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University
Co-investigators
School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil
School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Institute of Environmental Research from the State of São Paulo, Cluster of Ecology, Brazil
Vice-Chancellor Fellow at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ; & International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia
Dr Devendra Saroj
Reader and Head of Centre for Environmental Health and Engineering (CEHE), Fellow of Institute for Sustainability, FEPS, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Adjunct Faculty, CRDT, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
Dr Erick Giovani Sperandio Nascimento
Associate Professor (Reader) in AI for Clean Air and Programme Lead of AI and Sustainability, Â鶹ÊÓƵ, UK
Professor John Watts
Professor of Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering Sciences, Â鶹ÊÓƵ, UK
Dr Giovanni Lo Iacono
Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Â鶹ÊÓƵ, UK
Institute of Chemistry, Department of Fundamental Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Associate Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University
Assistant Teaching Professor, Director of Environmental & Technology Program, and co-Director of Environmental Sciences, North Carolina State University
Assistant Teaching Professor, Co-Director of Environmental Sciences in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University
Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University
Collaborators external to UGPN universities
Department of Sanitation and Environmental Engineering at School of Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Planning (FECFAU), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil
Federal Technology University - Paraná, Londrina Campus, Brazil
Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of EspÃrito Santo, Brazil
Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of EspÃrito Santo , Brazil
Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Federal Technological University of Paraná, Londrina Campus, Brazil
Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of EspÃrito Santo, Brazil
Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield, Principal Investigator H2020 CONEXUS project
DECRA Fellow & Senior Lecturer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney
Professor Shi-Jie Cao
Southeast University China
Imperial College London
School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Australia
Early career researchers
Dr Anubhav Dwivedi
Â鶹ÊÓƵ/GCARE Experimental Officer
Dr Sarkawt Hama
Â鶹ÊÓƵ/GCARE Post-doctoral Researcher
Dr Jeetendra Sahani
Â鶹ÊÓƵ/GCARE Post-doctoral Researcher
Lucy Green
Â鶹ÊÓƵ/GCARE PhD Student
Soheila Khalili
Â鶹ÊÓƵ/GCARE PhD Student
Huaiwen Wu
Â鶹ÊÓƵ PhD Student
USP-IAG PhD student
Iara da Silva
USP PhD Student
Vicky Wei
Â鶹ÊÓƵ/GCARE PhD Student
Maria Carla Queiroz Diniz de Oliveira
USP-IAG PhD Student
USP-IAG, PDRA
USP-IAG, PDRA
NCSU PhD Student
Mohammad Mohammad Abdul Baseer
Postgraduate Research Student
Noah Gibbons
Postgraduate Research Student
Rafael Loureiro
Postgraduate Research Student