UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)

Strengthening early warning of storms in Africa ⛈️ Two exciting updates! 🔹 New project in Ghana: UKCEH scientists are part of a newly announced initiative to develop storm and lightning early warning systems for the energy sector. Led by University of Leeds, the project also involves Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, University of Cape Coast, and Ghana Meteorological Agency. They are working with EW4Energy, which will deploy Ghana’s first ground-based lightning detection system, improving storm prediction and resilience. See our news story: https://lnkd.in/eJfwdvJS 🔹 Enhancing early warnings in Southern Africa: UKCEH is also supporting improved early weather warning systems in South Africa, Zambia, and Mozambique through the Early Warnings for Southern Africa (EWSA) project, part of the UK Met Office’s WISER programme. In a new blog post, Dr Jawairia Ahmad shares insights from a recent testbed in Zambia, where nowcasting techniques—real-time short-term forecasting—were refined to strengthen extreme weather predictions. Read more: https://lnkd.in/emBC2k3S As extreme weather events become more frequent, collaboration is key to building climate resilience and delivering #EarlyWarningsForAll. Adelaide Asante Harry Dixon #nowcasting #ExtremeWeather

UNESCO's World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development recognises that scientific creativity is needed to tackle climate disruption, biodiversity loss, water issues and other environmental challenges. 👀 Take a peek at the collaborative MOT4Rivers team who are using the latest monitoring technologies and data analytics to understand and mitigate pollution impacts on our freshwater ecosystems. ⤵️

📣 Hiring Now! Apply by 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟬 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 to join our national survey team as a Field Botanist / Botanical Surveyor working across England this year. The roles are full-time between May to early September for the survey season in 2025. We’re looking for five experienced botanists to contribute to a high-profile biodiversity monitoring project, providing crucial evidence to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural England to inform environmental policy. Find out more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/etfvDBXy #botany #BotanyJobs #EcologyJobs

Attend in person or participate online in this week's workshop on #phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock. Speakers include UKCEH's Will Brownlie who manages the uPCycle project, a collaborative effort working towards a sustainable phosphorus future ⤵️

We were pleased to host Cecile Siewe, Assistant Deputy Minister at the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), and Heather Aucoin, MSC’s international relations manager, at our Wallingford site last week to explore opportunities for expanding our existing collaborations. Great also to welcome Elizabeth Jamieson (Manager, Hydrometric Technology, Data Systems and Services for Environment and Climate Change Canada), attending remotely. The visit, hosted by UKCEH Associate Director of International Research Harry Dixon, featured presentations and discussions on relevant science and international activities, including applications of AI, our flood forecasting initiatives, and our work with the World Meteorological Organization to standardise approaches to water resources monitoring and forecasting through the Hydrological Status and Outlook (HydroSOS) initiative. We also showcased innovations in river flow monitoring, including the latest applications of remote sensing technologies to enhance river flow monitoring to help mitigate the impacts of flooding. This was an excellent opportunity to share our expertise in key hydrometeorological research and services, gain a better understanding of mutual interests, and identify areas for further collaborations 👏🏼 . UK National River Flow Archive at UKCEH María Estelí Jarquín Joanna Savage Eleanor Blyth Lucy Barker Steven Cole Nick Everard

UKCEH climate modeller Dr Chris Huntingford is part of a University of Exeter-led project awarded £5 million by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) to investigate early warning signs of climate 'tipping points'. The AdvanTip team will look for a breakthrough in early warning of tipping points by combining new theoretical insights, artificial intelligence, and improved understanding of physical systems. Dr Huntingford: "Identifying early warning signs of tipping points is crucial for adapting to and mitigating the worst impacts of climate change. This collaboration allows us to develop new modelling and computational methods to better understand tipping point dynamics." 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eGYGZmhH #ClimateChange #ClimateModelling #TippingPoints

🌿 🌳 How can trees help tackle air pollution in cities? David Fletcher from UKCEH's City Explorer Toolkit team has been looking at how trees influence PM2.5 pollution and population exposure in Portsmouth. This knowledge exchange with Portsmouth City Council was funded by RECLAIM Network Plus: https://lnkd.in/eHyEQfzf Laurence Jones #AirQuality #SustainableCities

📰 Catch up with the latest news from UKCEH! Top stories include: 🌍 First global study to assess impacts of pesticides across all types of species in land and water habitats 🪰 Reduction in metals pollution linked to river invertebrates improvement 🌊 Projecting future water resources 🔬 Common method for measuring microplastics Plus more news and our current training course offers. 👀 Read the February issue: https://lnkd.in/e3R_3_wE 📩 Want future editions straight to your inbox? https://lnkd.in/e3kvUYgp #ScienceNews #EnvironmentNews

The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the UK’s independent climate advisors, today set out the Seventh Carbon Budget presenting a pathway to decarbonisation in the UK.   The latest advice issued by the CCC is that by 2040, emissions should be 13% of their 1990 levels, for the UK to be on target to reach net zero by 2050. It sets out how this is feasible sector by sector and outlines decisions needed to ensure success over the coming years.   UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) scientists play an important role in this work. 🔸 UKCEH contributed modelling and analysis to the CCC’s Seventh Carbon Budget report. 🔸 We examined how ambitious land-based mitigation actions could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the UK’s land by 2050 and increase production of timber and biomass fuel. 🔸 The land-based mitigation options examined were woodland creation and improved management of existing forests, establishment of perennial energy crops, restoration of degraded peatlands and sustainable management of cropland on organic soil; and increased areas of agroforestry and hedgerows. These options were combined in the CCC’s Business As Usual and Balanced pathways, constrained by the availability of suitable land. 🔸 Peatland mitigation options, bioenergy crops and woodland creation and forest management were associated with the biggest emissions reduction compared with Business as Usual status. Dr Amanda Thomson, UKCEH, said: "The Seventh Carbon Budget sets out an ambitious but achievable pathway to net zero in 2050. Land-based mitigation actions will have many co-benefits for biodiversity and water, soil and air quality beyond carbon sequestration and emissions reductions." The detailed technical report by UKCEH will be published in May 2025 alongside the CCC’s reports for each Devolved Administration.   CCC Seventh Carbon Budget: https://lnkd.in/eSswkZjr   See our news story: https://lnkd.in/eEWjJz3q #NetZero

We are delighted to welcome Professor Sir Ian Chapman as the new UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive this summer. We look forward to working closely with Sir Ian to deliver leading and impactful environmental science to address the key challenges to make the world a better place. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dBxGrX7B NERC: Natural Environment Research Council Prof Ian Chapman Stuart Wainwright OBE