Our Research
CSERGE undertakes policy-relevant interdisciplinary research on environmental issues.
Our mission is the investigation of relevant environmental issues for various circumstances and stakeholders across different temporal and spatial scales to pursuit the excellence in the conduct and presentation of research.
Research tools include economic analysis, environmental valuation, integrated environmental-economic modelling, risk analysis, life cycle assessment, and dynamic visualisation.
Read more aboutΒ our research below.
Our Projects
BOWIE
BenthicβOffshore Wind Interactions Evaluation (BOWIE) project is funded within the ECOWind Programme and will examine interactions between offshore wind farms and shelf sea ecosystems by incorporating interdependencies between habitat type, pressures relating to OW lifecycle, anthropogenic pressures and climate change.
Read more on the ECOWind website here (www.ecowind.uk)
MARBEFES
MARine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning leading to Ecosystem Services MARBEFES project has received funding from the European Unionβs Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement no 101060937
Rean more on the official project website here.
Pyramids of life
The βPyramids of Lifeβ approach to a sustainable future captures and helps to communicate complex relationships between different species, human behaviours, and marine ecosystem functions.
Visit the Pyramids of Life website hereβ
Preferences for mangroves restoration in the Colombian Caribbean
As part of her PhD thesis, researcher Keila Guillen lead this activity looking to analyse preferences for mangroves restoration projects and land use changes in the Colombian Caribbean, specifically, Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM), through a choice experiment survey. This area is considered the largest coastal lagoon in Colombia, as well as one of the most productive coastal ecosystems in the neo-tropics. Given the important role that mangrove ecosystems play in the mitigation and adaptation of climate change, and the current reforestation initiatives from the Colombian government, this research will support management strategies and restoration initiatives for mangroves in Colombia.
Contact: Keila Guillen Onate, Silvia Ferrini and Corrado Di Maria
Time frame: 2021-2023
Funder: University of East Anglia and Marine and Coastal Research Institute of Colombia (INVEMAR).
GROW-Colombia
BGCRF Growing Research Capability award: Preserving, restoring and managing Colombian Biodiversity through Responsible Innovation (GROW-Colombia)
Read more about GROW-Colombiaβ
2020 Activities
The GROW Columbia Project Report 1 was published in January 2020, entitled Socio-Economics of Biodiversity Programme.
Contact Silvia Ferrini, Kerry Turner and Corrado Di Maria.
Addressing Valuation of Energy and Nature Together
Professor Andrew Lovett led the Β£2M ADVENT project, Addressing Valuation of Energy and Nature Together,Β to explore future UK low-carbon energy pathways and quantify what they would mean for natural capital and ecosystem services. The project applies economic valuation to estimate in money terms the value of the ecosystem service changes associated with different future energy pathways.
Future energy pathways
The future energy pathways include the kind of steps the UK will need to take to meet its energy policy goals. These include maintaining energy security, keeping energy affordable and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. The project will give policymakers the tools they need to analyse different energy futures in a way that brings energy and environmental considerations together into a single framework.
Researchers from the University of Exeter, University of Aberdeen, University College London, University of Leeds, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and University of Southampton are also involved with the UEA team.
Contact: Andrew Lovett, Kerry Turner
Time frame: 2015 - 2020
Funder:Β Natural Environment Research Council
Metaldehyde reduction
The Anglian Water Slug it Out scheme works with farmers in East Anglia to protect drinking water supplies in the region's main reservoirs. Dr Ruth Welters, Professor Brett Day, Dr Amy Binner, Greg Smith and Professor Brett Day are now at Exeter'sΒ LEEP Institute. They haveΒ generated and evaluated ideas and made recommendations for the incentivisation components of the scheme.
TheΒ Anglian Water websiteΒ has more information on the scheme:
βThe campaign is aimed at reducing the levels of the slug control pesticide Metaldehyde in our regionβs waters before they reach our treatment works. Although harmless to humans, Metaldehyde is very difficult to remove at water treatment works and meeting tough EU targets on it is a real challenge for the region.
As part of the campaign, we are carrying out a trial project around six key reservoirs to incentivise farmers to stop using metaldehyde and use an alternative chemical instead. The farmers will receive payments to cover their costs and for taking part. The reservoirs involved are Alton Water in Suffolk; Ardleigh Reservoir near Colchester; Hollowell Reservoir, Ravensthorpe Reservoir and Pitsford Water in Northamptonshire and Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire.β
The scheme was launched onΒ in June 2015. You can read more about the scheme in the Anglian Water press release:Β Anglian Water joins forces with farmers to tackle slug pesticidesΒ and in theΒ blogΒ from Lu Gilfoyle, Catchment & Coastal Strategy Manager at Anglian Water.
All the target farmersΒ signed up - see the 14 Sept 2015 blog from Richard ReynoldsΒ Farmers on board for Slug It Out campaign.β
Contact:Β Ruth Weltersβ
Scottish Ecosystem Services
People managing Scotland's natural environment will have more information on how their decisions could affect farmers, wildlife and greenhouse gas emissions from the 'Economic value of Scottish ecosystem services' project.
The work is part ofΒ theΒ OPERAsΒ programme on Ecosystem Science for Policy and Practice. OPERAs is developing ecosystem science for policy and practice to enhance sustainable use of ecosystems and has 27 partners from across the EU.
Economic value of Scottish ecosystem services
The aim of this project is to contribute to the improvement of decision-making relating to the management of Scotlandβs natural environment. Read more about this project here.β
Short report to the OPERAs Projectβ
Contact:Β Amii Harwoodβ
