Nature-based Solutions

The Nature-based Solutions group focuses on the impact of climate change on precipitation and flooding and how we can work with natural processes, such as soil management to mitigate these impacts. In terms of managing the effects of unpredictable rainfall, the team using extensive and complex simulation techniques to forecast flooding pattern and effective flood management options. Such methods include improving upstream agricultural soil structure and riparian vegetation as well as diverting flood water to various channels, creating novel pavements and sustainable urban drainage systems. The cornerstone of the group’s activity is to use a creative thinking to achieve environmentally sustainable soil and water management for the societal benefit. The members are also interested in improving safe water access in the developing world and implemented field-based projects in the UK, South Asia, Malaysia and Mexico.

The members of the group have undertaken many practical projects in the UK and abroad on tackling water issues. They have hard skills to contribute to both academic and industrial projects that involve,

• Stochastic /statistical estimates of flow through rivers and estimation of the intensity of floods,
• Improving urban drainage through novel SUDs design,
• Developing innovative pavement blocks to improve drainage,
• Catchment scale land use management for reducing flood risk through field-based monitoring and hydrological modelling
• Remediation of contaminated soil by using natural materials,
• Phytoremediation of soil,
• Scalable treatment methods for sub-surface removal of iron, arsenic, manganese and nitrogen compounds without any chemicals or waste generation.

Staff

• Dr Daniel Green
• Dr Sandhya Patidar
• Dr Ian Pattison
• Prof Bhaskar Sen Gupta
• Dr Grant Wright