Nature-based solutions for coastal protection and hazard mitigation

Project Reference Number

Project Reference Number: SCEBE-22SF-NBSCPHM-Mickovski

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BACKGROUND

Rising sea levels as a result of climate change are causing substantial damage to Scottish coastlines and the pace of erosion is increasing. Plans to manage coastal change are urgently needed before it is too late. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) such as vegetated dunes and shorelines, cobble berms, or shellfish reefs, constitute green infrastructure that could protect more than simple seawalls. However, co-design and co-deployment of NbS against coastal erosion is needed as part of community-based projects in which the green infrastructure is built, monitored, and maintained by the lay stakeholders using local resources. Yet, studies on the public perception, strategic implementation, and engineering effectiveness of coastal NbS are severely lacking.

AIMS 

The aims of the project are to:

•            Investigate the public perception of NbS against coastal erosion

•            Explore the engineering effectiveness of various coastal NbS

•            Develop simple indicators to monitor the performance of coastal NbS

•            Design pragmatic and reproducible strategies permitting the implementation of community-based, NbS against coastal erosion

•            Disseminate the project outcomes to relevant stakeholders

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS 

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate understanding of ecosystems functioning. Expertise undertaking field and laboratory work is required. A good grasp of statistical methods and tools, such as R, is preferable. Effective oral and written communication skills are mandatory. Awareness of stakeholder engagement and of community-based approaches is desirable. The project will involve the combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Candidates are invited to submit a more detailed research proposal (of a maximum of 2000 words) on the project area as part of their application. 

Applicants will normally hold a UK honours degree 2:1 (or equivalent); or a Masters degree in a subject relevant to the research project –e.g. environmental science, marine science, ecology, geophysics, physical geography, environmental engineering, hydrodynamics, etc. Equivalent professional qualifications and any appropriate research experience may be considered. A minimum English language level of IELTS score of 6.5 (or equivalent) with no element below 6.0 is required.