Prescription of Nature-Based Solutions to Cities (UGPN-NBS)

Start date

August 2024

End date

July 2025

Overview

Led by Professor Prashant Kumar, the Director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) and Co-Director, Institute for Sustainability at the University of Surrey, researchers from three partner universities – University of Surrey, 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 UN SDGs(3) Good Health & Well-being(10) Reduced Inequalities(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities; (13) Climate Action; and (15) Life on Land.

Objectives

The overall objective of UGPN-NBS 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

Image for Good Health and Well-being Sustainable Development Goal Image for Reduced Inequalities Sustainable Development Goal Image for Sustainable Cities and Communities Sustainable Development Goal Image for Climate Action Sustainable Development Goal Image for Life on Land Sustainable Development Goal

Team

Co-investigators

Professor Regina Maura de Miranda

School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Professor Marco Aurélio de Menezes Franco

Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Professor Thiago Nogueira

School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Professor Giuliano Locosselli

Institute of Environmental Research from the State of São Paulo, Cluster of Ecology, Brazil

Professor Lidia Morawska

Vice-Chancellor Fellow at the University of Surrey; & 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, University of Surrey 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, University of Surrey, UK

Professor John Watts

Professor of Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of Surrey, UK

Dr Giovanni Lo Iacono

Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, UK

Professor Pérola de Castro Vasconcellos

Institute of Chemistry, Department of Fundamental Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Professor Edmilson Dias de Freitas

Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Dr Madhushudhan Katti

Associate Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University

Dr Angela Allen

Assistant Teaching Professor, Director of Environmental & Technology Program, and co-Director of Environmental Sciences, North Carolina State University

Dr Megan Lupak

Assistant Teaching Professor, Co-Director of Environmental Sciences in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University

Dr Meredith Martin

Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University

Collaborators external to UGPN universities

Professor Taciana Toledo de Almeida Albuquerque

Department of Sanitation and Environmental Engineering at School of Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Professor Pedro Jose Perez-Martinez

Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Planning (FECFAU), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil

Professor Leila Droprinchinski Martins

Federal Technology University - Paraná, Londrina Campus, Brazil

Professor Neyval Costa Reis Jr

Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Professor Jane Meri Santos

Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo , Brazil

Professor Rizzieri Pedruzzi

Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Professor Jorge A Martins Jorge

Federal Technological University of Paraná, Londrina Campus, Brazil

Professor Elisa Valentim

Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Dr Tom Wild

Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield, Principal Investigator H2020 CONEXUS project

Dr Yuhan Huang

DECRA Fellow & Senior Lecturer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney

Professor Shi-Jie Cao

Southeast University China

Professor Chris Pain

Imperial College London

Professor Veronica Soebarto

School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Australia

Early career researchers

Dr Anubhav Dwivedi

University of Surrey/GCARE Experimental Officer

Sarkawt Hama profile image

Dr Sarkawt Hama

University of Surrey/GCARE Post-doctoral Researcher

Jeetendra Sahani profile image

Dr Jeetendra Sahani

University of Surrey/GCARE Post-doctoral Researcher

Lucy Green

University of Surrey/GCARE PhD Student

Soheila Khalili profile image

Soheila Khalili

University of Surrey/GCARE PhD Student

Huaiwen Wu profile image

Huaiwen Wu

University of Surrey PhD Student

Iara da Silva

USP PhD Student

Yingyue Wei profile image

Vicky Wei

University of Surrey/GCARE PhD Student

Maria Carla Queiroz Diniz de Oliveira

USP-IAG PhD Student

Shila Pokhrel

NCSU PhD Student

Mohammad Abdul Baseer profile image

Mohammad Mohammad Abdul Baseer

Postgraduate Research Student

Noah Gibbons

Postgraduate Research Student

Rafael Loureiro

Postgraduate Research Student

Research themes

Find out more about our research at Surrey: