Healthy Environments: Sustainable Societies Research Group

Understanding societal responses to inequalities in resources, resolving management dilemmas, and testing the effectiveness of practices and policies designed to promote the sustainable use of land, water and air.

Our research themes

  • Science for decision making in catchment and coastal management
  • Low cost solutions for sustainable nutrition and water management
  • Rewilding and freshwater ecosystem restoration
  • Air quality and human health
  • Energy geographies and justice

Our research

The Healthy Environments: Sustainable Societies Research Group's research is international in scope and scientifically wide ranging. We provide the interdisciplinary evidence to drive innovative management of land, air and water, and policy tools that promote societal well-being and ecosystem resilience.

Science for decision making in catchment and coastal management

Assembling an evidence base and decision support framework for catchment management practices using field experimentation, monitoring and modelling to reduce microbial and nutrient pollution risks. Investigating sustainable management options for beach environments in relation to recreational use, bathing water and biodiversity.

Low cost solutions for sustainable nutrition and water management

Alternative protein sources and sustainable harvesting practices, use of phytoremediation for nutrient recovery and pollution reduction, and access to drinking water and sanitation in slum environments.

Rewilding and freshwater ecosystem restoration

Assessing implications of beaver reintroduction and rewilding for ecological restoration and natural flood management via long term studies. Deriving nutrient targets to support good ecological status in rivers and lakes and testing restoration strategies via large scale experiments

Air quality and human health

Creating innovative, participatory solutions to air pollution and its effects on human health in low-resource settings

Energy geographies and justice

Using integrated approaches to understand spatial and temporal dynamics of public attitudes and community responses to shale gas.

Contact us

Please contact Professor Nigel Willby for any queries or information.