Overview

Our research on sustainable infrastructure systems challenges us to understand the interactions between the built and natural environments. We study how land use changes take place, often facilitated by the provision of infrastructure. We seek to understand how use of natural resources, for example water, impacts upon the natural environment and agriculture. We have made important research contributions in studying climate risks to agriculture, in particular the risk of ‘multiple breadbasket failures’, and the impacts of agriculture on water scarcity and water quality. We study how nature-based solutions, like catchment afforestation, mangrove restoration and sustainable drainage systems can substitute for ‘grey’ infrastructure.