Water availability and quality: natural environments, domestic use and food production (WaterSci)
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Lancaster Environment Centre
Abstract
This project addresses perhaps the greatest challenge facing humankind: feeding a world population approaching 7 billion against a background of growing concern over our planet's capacity to adapt to a changing climate. The recent IPCC report (http://www.ipcc.ch/) highlights both a predicted increase of 2-4oC in global surface warming by 2100 and significant perturbation in patterns and intensity of rainfall predicted to lead to serious droughts and more frequent flooding, both severe problems for food production and for the maintenance of a safe and secure water supply. Now, possibly more than at any time in the past, is there a need for innovation to ensure we can successfully meet such a global challenge. Improvement in security of supply and quality of water would also have a significant positive impact on sustainable development and health in parts of the world increasingly important to the UK as emerging markets. To meet this challenge, we need innovation to: quantify agricultural water requirements; increase water and resource use efficiency in food production; quantify and ameliorate the extent, source, fate and health impacts of water contamination; develop new environmental modelling capabilities; adopt emerging intelligent environmental sensor technology and take greater use of biosolids and wastewater. The WaterSci bid from the Lancaster Environment Centre and several labs in China, a partnership which leads the world in sustainable water management, proposes to focus on the development and exploitation of tools to deliver on this global innovation challenge and market opportunity.
People |
ORCID iD |
William Davies (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Zheng MZ
(2011)
Spatial distribution of arsenic and temporal variation of its concentration in rice.
in The New phytologist
Chen L
(2013)
The rhizobacterium Variovorax paradoxus 5C-2, containing ACC deaminase, promotes growth and development of Arabidopsis thaliana via an ethylene-dependent pathway.
in Journal of experimental botany
Du T
(2015)
Deficit irrigation and sustainable water-resource strategies in agriculture for China's food security.
in Journal of experimental botany
Li X
(2017)
Stomatal and growth responses to hydraulic and chemical changes induced by progressive soil drying.
in Journal of experimental botany
Li X
(2017)
The Biphasic Root Growth Response to Abscisic Acid in Arabidopsis Involves Interaction with Ethylene and Auxin Signalling Pathways
in Frontiers in Plant Science
Stutter MI
(2012)
Recovering phosphorus from soil: a root solution?
in Environmental science & technology
Zhu YG
(2011)
Understanding and harnessing the health effects of rapid urbanization in China.
in Environmental science & technology
Description | Plant improvement to increase nutrient use efficiency and maximise yields under drought: new traits identified Development and application of new agronomic technologies to enhance water use efficiency: deployed in NW China. Engagement with farmers Detection of heavy metals in the environment and food: new technologies developed Understanding and managing the impact of organic chemicals in the environment: development of China-based research centre Significant KE in water and nutrient management |
Exploitation Route | Changed farming and land use practice in China Joint research centre allows extensive collaborative research in China. Links with Chinese research Academy for Environmental Science established |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Chemicals Communities and Social Services/Policy Education Environment |
URL | http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/china-catalyst/news_and_events/news/002278/research-institute-opens-in-china |
Description | Work with farmers in NW China has resulted in substantial water saving in Agriculture and environmental restoration Development of Government policy on water use in Agriculture |
First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Education,Environment |
Impact Types | Societal Economic |
Description | Collaboration with China Agricultural University via 111 project |
Organisation | China Agricultural University (CAU) |
Department | Department of Soil & Water Science |
Country | China |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Lancaster is a partner in this 111 project funded by DoE China focussing on water saving agriculture |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint research, shared students |
Impact | No outputs yet |
Start Year | 2014 |