Carbon Sequestration in the Context of River Restoration

Information on this PhD research area can be found further down this page under the details about the Widening Participation Scholarship given immediately below.

Applications for this PhD research are welcomed from anyone worldwide but there is an opportunity for UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) to apply for a widening participation scholarship.

Widening Participation Scholarship: Any UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) is invited to apply. Our scholarships seek to increase participation from groups currently under-represented within research. A priority will be given to students that meet the widening participation criteria and to graduates of the University of Salford. For more information about widening participation, follow this link: https://www.salford.ac.uk/postgraduate-research/fees. [Scroll down the page until you reach the heading “PhD widening participation scholarships”.] Please note: we accept applications all year but the deadline for applying for the widening participation scholarships in 2024 is 28th March 2024. All candidates who wish to apply for the MPhil or PhD widening participation scholarship will first need to apply for and be accepted onto a research degree programme. As long as you have submitted your completed application for September/October 2024 intake by 28 February 2024 and you qualify for UK fees, you will be sent a very short scholarship application. This form must be returned by 28 March 2024. Applications received after this date must either wait until the next round or opt for the self-funded PhD route.

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Project description: Carbon sequestration is an important process for mitigating climate change, and river restoration has the potential to be an effective strategy for capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) in natural sinks. With increasing global temperatures due to climate change, there has been a significant increase in the number of, and severity of disasters related to weather and water extremes, such as floods and droughts. Due to the continuing threat of the climate emergency globally, sequestration is of utmost importance in the roadmap to net zero carbon. Through river restoration, mitigating the impact of these extremes can be achieved through development of natural processes which have been lost within the landscape due to past engineering practices. Principally river restoration has focused on tackling flooding or sediment issues. However, a more holistic view suggests that wider benefits can be achieved in terms of improved water quality, increased biodiversity, and enhanced ecosystem services. By rehabilitating degraded river ecosystems, river restoration can also help capture atmospheric CO₂ in natural sinks, and wetlands, thereby reducing the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere. The carbon sequestration potential of river restoration has not been fully explored, but this research aims to assess it comprehensively. The expected outcomes of this research proposal are a better understanding of the carbon sequestration potential of river restoration, identification of the factors that influence the carbon sequestration potential of river restoration, and an evaluation of the economic feasibility of using river restoration as a carbon sequestration strategy.