[Enter keyword and press ‘search’ or the return key]
.
Resilience and adaptation to flooding and coastal change
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Our research needs to help people plan for, better protect, respond to, and recover from flooding, as well as coastal change.
Our research activities will support us to:
2.1 – understand behavioural, societal, and organisational changes which might be needed for England and Wales to adapt and be resilient to flooding and coastal change
2.2 – measure flood and coastal resilience
2.3 – work with communities to make decisions together and take action to build resilience and adapt
2.4 – understand the options to adapt our coasts
2.5 – use a balance of different interventions that create resilience to flooding and coastal change
Further information is available on the joint programme webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-research-and-development-programme/about
If you would like to contact the programme to share information on how your work relates, or if you want to hear from the programme team when a new research activity is starting, use the areas of research interest form: https://forms.office.com/e/PALmAmETZ2
If you want to request support from the programme for a research partnership follow instructions on how to apply for research support: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-research-support-and-partnerships
Keywords (discipline, other): flood, coastal erosion, coastal change, flooding, adaptation, resilience, protect, respond, recover
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/flooding-reports-evidence-and-data/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-research/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: NRW
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
Saltmarsh restoration using polders: what are the costs, benefits and trade-offs to breeding and overwintering bird populations?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Saltmarsh restoration using polders and impacts on bird populations,”Saltmarsh, Polders, Restoration, Bird populations, Coastal ecosystems”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
Sensitivity and vulnerability of the Habitats Regulations features to elevated nutrient concentrations,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Sensitivity of sea cliff habitats to elevated nitrogen concentrations,”Sea cliffs, Nitrogen concentrations, Habitat sensitivity, Environmental impact”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
Sewage in Rivers: Data Mining for Environmental Proxies of Pathogen Risk
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Sewage in Rivers: Data Mining for Environmental Proxies of Pathogen Risk
Background
People who swim or paddle in rivers want to understand their risk of exposure to sewage-related pathogens. While new technologies like the Molendotech Bactiquick offer rapid (15-minute) detection of endotoxins from Gram-negative bacteria, these tests are relatively expensive and impractical for routine use by members of the public.
This project aims to identify low-cost, accessible environmental proxies for pathogen risk in rivers—specifically for key bacteria such as E. coli and enterococci. The central hypothesis is that some combination of physical and chemical water quality indicators, routinely monitored by water companies, could be used to infer pathogen risk with a reasonable degree of confidence.
Research Question
To what extent can the presence of pathogenic bacteria in river water be correlated with a basket of environmental metrics (e.g. turbidity, pH, phosphate levels, rainfall, river flow, etc.)?
Sub-question
What are the top two or three metrics that could serve as reliable, low-cost indicators of pathogen contamination, enabling public river users to assess risk quickly and effectively?
Rationale
Water companies that abstract river water for drinking purposes typically carry out regular and detailed multi-factor water quality monitoring. While much of this data is hidden or hard to access, some of it may be obtainable under the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA). This presents a unique opportunity to retrospectively analyse such datasets for correlations between commonly measured parameters and microbial contamination levels.
From my own water sampling and river campaigning work on the River Dee (in England and Wales), I have already managed to extract a useful—though slightly dated—dataset from Severn Trent Water, which monitors a drinking water abstraction point in the centre of Chester. While this epwales portal doesn’t allow file uploads, the dataset is available offline and could form a valuable starting point for trial analysis and methodology exploration and could be updated by requesting newer data from the same or potentially many other sites.
Project Workplan
1. Identify Target Locations
Map UK rivers where water is abstracted for drinking and where routine multi-parameter water quality testing is likely to occur (e.g. the River Dee, River Thames). Prioritise those with known recreational use.
2. Request and Secure Data
Submit and follow up Freedom of Information requests to water companies to access historical water quality data, focusing on:
o Microbial indicators: E. coli, enterococci
o Physical parameters: turbidity, temperature, water level
o Chemical parameters: phosphate, ammonia, nitrate, dissolved oxygen
o Operational metadata: dates and times of known combined sewer overflows (CSOs)
o Hydrological context: recent rainfall, river flow rates (sourced from EA/NRW)
3. Complementary Data Gathering
Collect supplementary data from various bodies (e.g. Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Met Office) on:
o Rainfall
o River levels and flow
o CSO discharge records (where public)
4. Data Integration and Cleaning
Build a sanitised, merged dataset across time and location.
Deal with missing values and anomalies in preparation for analysis.
5. Statistical Analysis
Select correlation and regression techniques (e.g. Pearson/Spearman correlation, multiple linear regression, PCA) to:
o Identify the strongest indicators of pathogen presence
o Determine thresholds above which pathogen risk increases significantly
o Assess predictive power of a reduced set of low-cost variables
6. Applied Outcomes
Potentially explore the feasibility of designing a simple field-testing protocol or “riverside risk index” using 2–3 low-cost proxy indicators. Consider potential for app-based or handheld sensor kit deployment by river users.
Possible Impact
• Empower recreational river users with practical tools to assess contamination risk in near real time.
• Support campaigns for greater transparency and routine data release by water companies.
• Offer public health and policy recommendations based on statistically grounded proxy indicators.
• Contribute to the scientific evidence base underpinning the regulation of sewage discharges into UK rivers.
Some of the post on the Clean Dee Facebook Group (see link below) refer briefly to this data.
Keywords (discipline, other): data mining, statistics, analytics, FoI, freedom of information, datasets, sewage, pathogens, rivers, bathing, water quality
Website/URL links: https://www.facebook.com/groups/757209739520566
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: No Organisation: Wrexham University
Contact Details
Name: Barry Johnston Email Address: barry.johnston@wrexham.ac.uk Phone: NA
https://epwales.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/formidable/64/River-Dee-Abstraction-Sewage-Bacteria-Micro-Sample-Data.xlsx
________________________________________________________________________________
Sports Science Topics
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Research project/ dissertation idea:
https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/2022/02/addressing-climate-change-through-sport/
From the above article:
According to the Rapid Transition Alliance’s report, the global sport sector contributes the same level of emissions as a medium-sized country.
The carbon footprint from transportation to/from events, the construction and use of various sporting venues, and the supply chains for sport-related equipment all play an important role in affecting the world’s climate. For example, it has been estimated that the 2016 Rio Olympics released 3.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, while the 2018 Russia World Cup released 2.16 million tons.
These kinds of assessments are even more concerning as they often underestimate the real impact of sport’s carbon footprint, for instance not including the impact of the construction of new stadiums, the water and energy consumed to support events and the food, plastic and other waste produced during events.
In a cyclical manner, the sport sector is impacted by the consequences of rising temperatures. Heavier precipitations, higher sea levels, and the increase in the number of extreme weather events are having disruptive consequences on sport. According to a recent study, approximately half of the former winter Olympic host cities will likely not be able to sponsor winter games by 2050 due to a lack of snow and ice in a warming world.
In 2018, the high temperatures forced the US Open tennis tournament organizers to offer a “heat-break” to athletes. During the 2020 Australian Open, poor air quality caused by wildfires forced some tennis players to withdraw from the tournament. By 2050, almost one fourth of England football league team’s stadiums (23 out of 92) are projected to be partially or totally flooded every year.
Keywords (discipline, other): Sports Science, air quality, emissions, carbon footprint, climate change, wildfire
Website/URL links: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=A673B09CD3ADE8F9!70595&migratedtospo=true&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL28vcyFBdm5vcmRPY3NIT21oS2REa0RONzJYd2RpWWljSWc_ZT1LcEpUYUQ&wd=target%28Sports%20science.one%7Cdb53c90f-9ae2-41ef-a356-21accd50dcb4%2FProject%20Ideas%7Cd25ad23a-6ec9-49fb-bf9b-04cfc1df852e%2F%29&wdorigin=NavigationUrl
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: No Organisation:
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
Sports Science Topics
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Research project/ dissertation idea:
https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/2022/02/addressing-climate-change-through-sport/
From the above article:
According to the Rapid Transition Alliance’s report, the global sport sector contributes the same level of emissions as a medium-sized country.
The carbon footprint from transportation to/from events, the construction and use of various sporting venues, and the supply chains for sport-related equipment all play an important role in affecting the world’s climate. For example, it has been estimated that the 2016 Rio Olympics released 3.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, while the 2018 Russia World Cup released 2.16 million tons.
These kinds of assessments are even more concerning as they often underestimate the real impact of sport’s carbon footprint, for instance not including the impact of the construction of new stadiums, the water and energy consumed to support events and the food, plastic and other waste produced during events.
In a cyclical manner, the sport sector is impacted by the consequences of rising temperatures. Heavier precipitations, higher sea levels, and the increase in the number of extreme weather events are having disruptive consequences on sport. According to a recent study, approximately half of the former winter Olympic host cities will likely not be able to sponsor winter games by 2050 due to a lack of snow and ice in a warming world.
In 2018, the high temperatures forced the US Open tennis tournament organizers to offer a “heat-break” to athletes. During the 2020 Australian Open, poor air quality caused by wildfires forced some tennis players to withdraw from the tournament. By 2050, almost one fourth of England football league team’s stadiums (23 out of 92) are projected to be partially or totally flooded every year.
Keywords (discipline, other): Sports Science, air quality, emissions, carbon footprint, climate change, wildfire
Website/URL links: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=A673B09CD3ADE8F9!70595&migratedtospo=true&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL28vcyFBdm5vcmRPY3NIT21oS2REa0RONzJYd2RpWWljSWc_ZT1LcEpUYUQ&wd=target%28Sports%20science.one%7Cdb53c90f-9ae2-41ef-a356-21accd50dcb4%2FProject%20Ideas%7Cd25ad23a-6ec9-49fb-bf9b-04cfc1df852e%2F%29&wdorigin=NavigationUrl
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: No Organisation:
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
The link between cataract formation and UV radiation
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
https://eyewiki.aao.org/Ocular_Manifestations_of_Climate_Change#:~:text=Longer%20wavelengths%20can%20reach%20the,%2C%20Keratoconus%2C%20and%20Fuchs%20dystrophy
Heat waves have particularly affected major US cities and are occurring three times more often than they did in the 1960s.[13] Several ocular diseases have been implicated in rising ambient temperatures associated with heat waves, including cataracts.
The epidemiological link between cataract formation and UV radiation has been established in several studies.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0253093
Association among pterygium, cataracts, and cumulative ocular ultraviolet exposure: A cross-sectional study in Han people in China and Taiwan
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30737039/
WHO/ILO work-related burden of disease and injury: Protocol for systematic reviews of occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation and of the effect of occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation on cataract
Keywords (discipline, other): Optometry, cataract, UV radiation, temperatures, heat waves
Website/URL links: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=A673B09CD3ADE8F9!70595&migratedtospo=true&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL28vcyFBdm5vcmRPY3NIT21oS2REa0RONzJYd2RpWWljSWc_ZT1LcEpUYUQ&wd=target%28Optometry.one%7Cc0c23a92-4ada-40c1-b549-4bf32d2ae70e%2FProject%20Ideas%7Cdc1ac558-d2fa-40bc-ae6a-a9fab3ddbc49%2F%29&wdorigin=NavigationUrl
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: No Organisation:
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
To what extent do coastal habitats act as natural sea defences?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal habitats as natural sea defences,”Coastal habitats, Natural defences, Coastal protection, Habitat functions”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
To what extent do recreational activities disturb marine mammals?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Disturbance of marine mammals by recreational activities,”Marine mammals, Disturbance, Recreational activities, Impact assessment”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
Trachoma associated scarring due to increased airborne particles from things like wildfires, pollution and other natural phenomena
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
https://www.aoa.org/news/clinical-eye-care/health-and-wellness/with-climate-change-prevention-matters-more-than-ever?sso=y
Research finds many current eye problems are exacerbated by increased pollutants.- TRACHOMA-ASSOCIATED SCARRING
Coinciding with Beijing’s red alert on its air pollution is new research out of Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Institute finding that many of the eye problems people struggle with today are likely to be exacerbated by global warming.
The research, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health Global Health Interest group, found that increased airborne particles—from wildfires, pollution and other natural phenomena—may be independently associated with increased corneal scarring, which damages vision.
Researchers studied women in rural parts of Africa, who often cook over wood fires. Even after controlling for other factors that contribute to trachoma-associated scarring, the more time the women spent cooking over wood-burning stoves, the more likely they were to have moderate to severe scarring of the eyelid.
Keywords (discipline, other): Optometry, climate crisis, scarring, wildfire, pollution, vision, wood fire
Website/URL links: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=A673B09CD3ADE8F9!70595&migratedtospo=true&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL28vcyFBdm5vcmRPY3NIT21oS2REa0RONzJYd2RpWWljSWc_ZT1LcEpUYUQ&wd=target%28Optometry.one%7Cc0c23a92-4ada-40c1-b549-4bf32d2ae70e%2FProject%20Ideas%7Cdc1ac558-d2fa-40bc-ae6a-a9fab3ddbc49%2F%29&wdorigin=NavigationUrl
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: No Organisation:
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________