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CAWR Newsletter
September 2018
Our monthly newsletters are an easy way to keep up-to-date with new developments at our research centre. From successful project bids to upcoming events, our newsletter informs you on how we are 'driving innovative transdisciplinary research on resilient food and water systems.'
News
Chris Yap successfully defended his PhD with no corrections needed which is quite an accomplishment. His title was 'Urban agriculture, food sovereignty and the right to the city.'
Professor Michel Pimbert and Dr Stefanie Lemke published an article in UNSCN News 43 - Advancing equity, equality and non-discrimination in food systems. Their article was specifically mentioned on the announcement of the official launch on their comments regarding production methods that support the availability of nutritious diets:
“[Agroecological practices] strengthen the ‘immune system’ of agricultural systems through the enhancement of functional biodiversity by creating appropriate habitats for the natural enemies of pests, allelopathy and antagonists and through adaptive management." Read their article here.
Professor Michael Warne gave a presentation to the Reef Independent Science Panel seeking (and receiving) their endorsement for a proposed method of determining the extent of pesticide contamination and the magnitude of its biological effect. This method will be used to calculate the new starting point for reducing pesticide pollution and for reporting progress to the target of protecting 99% of aquatic species. Michael also gave a presentation to the Queensland Alliance of Environmental Health Sciences on his work on the Great Barrier Reef.
SUDSnet Conference
The SUDSnet conference was held at Coventry University at the end of August.
The conference addressed topical and challenging issues, including a session on water management in refugee and internally displaced persons (IDP) settlements, which was sponsored by the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF).
Peter Hollings who attended the conference said "The conference provided a great opportunity to meet practitioners, academics and policymakers who contribute to the understanding and implementation of SuDS across the UK."
Urban Gardening as Politics
Chiara Tornaghi’s latest co-edited book titled “Urban Gardening as Politics” has been published by Routledge in the Equity, Justice and the Sustainable City series.
While most of the existing literature on community gardens and urban agriculture share a tendency towards either an advocacy view or a rather dismissive approach on the grounds of the co-optation of food growing, self-help and voluntarism to the neoliberal agenda, this collection investigates and reflects on the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of these initiatives. It questions to what extent they address social inequality and injustice and interrogates them as forms of political agency that contest, transform and re-signify ‘the urban’.
You can find out more about the book by clicking here.
RECOMS first training event in Finland
©Janne Saukkonen
The whole RECOMS group - now with 15 new research fellows who started on 1st September - gathered for the first time between 16th and 21st September in Vaasa, Finland to have its first training event about photography as well as resilience, resourcefulness and vulnerability. The fellows and their mentors as well as RECOMS partners representing 16 countries world-wide had discussions about resourcefulness and resilience and listened to presentations on positionality, vulnerability and photography. The research groups also had a task to take photos on vulnerability during a breathtaking field trip in the Kvarken Archipelago, and presented to various audiences sharpening their photo, design and presentation techniques. Read more about RECOMS by clicking here.
CAWR also specifically welcomes its two new colleagues Sofia and Sergio, who started on 1st September with the other fellows and work on two RECOMS project on co-creating urban waterways and transforming urban environments. Very warm welcome!
Water Efficiency Network conference and University of Madrid visit
Professor Sue Charlesworth attended the Water Efficiency Network conference, held in Aveiro, Portugal, where she presented a paper on Water efficiency and drainage in challenging environments with co-authors Andrew Adam-Bradford, Mitch McTough, Frank Warwick and Matthew Blackett. This paper mainly concentrated on the construction of the sustainable drainage demonstration site in the Gawilan refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq funded by the Humanitarian Innovation Fund. Progress with the Newton Fund sponsored Brazil Zika project was also introduced. She was also co-author on a paper given by Dr Fredrick Mbanaso entitled End-of-life of a Sustainable Drainage System: assessment of potential risk of water pollution through leaching of metals.
Next, she visited Professor Eduardo De Miguel, Technical Director, Environmental Geochemistry Research and Engineering Laboratory, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain. They visited research sites focussed on urban gardening in Madrid, in particular Parque del Buen Retiro, which is one of the largest parks in the city.
Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG) Conference in Cardiff
CAWR researchers gather for the RGS-IBG conference in Cardiff, Wales, last month. (from left to right) Christabel Buchanan, Prof. Moya Kneafsey, Donna Udall, Dr. Chris Maughan and Dr. Luke Owen
Several CAWR academics participated in the annual RGS-IBG conference held at Cardiff University last month to present and discuss their latest research. Prof. Moya Kneafsey co-convened two popular sessions about Community Self-Organisation and Landscapes of Food Justice and Sustainability where Christabel Buchanan, Dr. Lopa Saxena and Dr. Marina Chang presented their recent work. Dr. Luke Owen co-chaired a lively session alongside Donna Udall and Dr. Alex Franklin titled ‘what might an ‘alternative’, agroecological post-Brexit foodscape look like? Exploring opportunities, challenges, evidence and ambition’, which included a presentation by Dr. Chris Maughan.
Over 1,800 delegates from across the globe were in attendance for the four-day conference. The event created valuable space to showcase some of CAWR’s latest research, and to discuss collaboration and publication opportunities.
Thawing of permafrost in Siberia: research project with German, Russian and UK partners
Artic and subarctic regions are especially vulnerable to climate change, with rising temperatures and thawing of permafrost transforming vegetation and habitats, and increasing the risk for infectious and other diseases. Dr. Stefanie Lemke was invited to join a fact-finding mission to Yakutsk, Russia in August, coordinated by the University of Hohenheim Research Centre for Health Sciences. The international and interdisciplinary research team seeks to explore the impact of climate change and socio-economic transition on human and animal health and ecosystems. The project integrates the areas public health and nutrition, soil sciences and soil-plant-atmosphere interactions, water, veterinary public health, parasitology, and human epidemiology. Discussions are under way to involve other CAWR colleagues from the physical and social sciences.
International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) - newly constituted board in Germany
The German members of the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) elected the delegates for the next four years (from left): Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Leicht-Eckardt, Dr. Sylvia Lorek, Dr. Jasmin Geppert, Isa Hasselt, Beatrix Flatt, Petra Wehmeier, Gabi Börries and Dr. Stefanie Lemke. This was announced during the IFHE board meeting in Osnabrueck, Germany on 29 August. The meeting took place in conjunction with the International Conference of the European Association of Home Economics, 30-31 August, entitled “What is happening in Home Economics? A spotlight on European Activities” at Osnabrueck University of Applied Sciences.
12th Pan-European Conference on International Relations
Josh Brem-Wilson presented the paper ‘Facilitated Publics in Global Food Governance’, and discussed insights from his ongoing research project examining facilitation practices in the United Nations Committee on World Food Security. The paper was part of a session called ‘Exploring the co-production of publics: Security, technology and knowledge’, which aimed to discuss the place of publics in International Relations. The paper will shortly be available as part of a special issue examining the participation of affected publics in global governance.
Innovate - out now!
Michael Warne wrote an article for the Innovate magazine which features the latest research at Coventry University.
Click here to read how we are helping to protect the natural icon that is the Great Barrier Reef.
Subscribe to future issues by contacting innovate@coventry.ac.uk
South Africa: Introducing the Art of Collaboration
Flora Gathorne-Hardy and Miche Fabre Lewin meet with Dr Rika Preiser at the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST), University of Stellenbosch, to prepare for Art of Collaboration, a forum taking place at CST on 16th October. Art of Collaboration is a long-term alliance initiative between CAWR, Touchstones, CST at Stellenbosch University, and the Sustainability Institute, Lynedoch, South Africa.
Miche, Rika Preiser and Flora at the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition, Stellenbosch University
Miche Fabre Lewin and Flora Gathorne-Hardy are in South Africa. Miche is in deep focus of writing up her PhD Complementary Writing manuscript, while Flora is preparing for the Southern African launch of CAWR and Touchstone’s Art of Collaboration alliance initiative. Art of Collaboration emerges from Miche’s doctoral research on the artful bodymind. This has been an exploration of ways to cultivate the multiple intelligences of our bodies, our senses, intuition and imagination, for recognising the interconnectedness at the heart of life. Dr Rika Preiser has invited Michel Pimbert with Miche and Flora of Touchstones to introduce Art of Collaboration as part of the CST Anthropocene Dialogues. Together, they will be sharing how convivial arts-based methodologies can enliven transformative research cultures.
Events
SEMINAR: A) Constitutionality: Bottom-Up Institution Building Processes for the Management of the Commons B) Towards a New Institutional Political Ecology (NIPE)
12th October 11:30-12:30
Tobias Haller
Live streamed via Facebook and recorded for our Youtube Channel
To attend please book here
SEMINAR: Improvement in the socio-environmental quality of cities: Urban agriculture and stormwater management
16th October 11:30-12:30
Carina Corrêa
Live streamed via Facebook and recorded for our Youtube Channel
To attend please book here
FILM: Burkinabè Bounty
26th October 11:30-12:30
To attend please book here
Publications
Hook, S. E., Mondon, J., Revill, A. T., Greenfield, P. A., Smith, R. A., Turner, R. D., ... & Warne, M. S. J. (2018). Transcriptomic, lipid, and histological profiles suggest changes in health in fish from a pesticide hot spot. Marine environmental research.
Peters, A., Merrington, G., Schlekat, C., De Schamphelaere, K., Stauber, J., Batley, G., ... & Warne, M. (2018). Validation of the nickel biotic ligand model for locally relevant species in Australian freshwaters. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
Pimbert, M.P., Lemke, S. (2018) Using agroecology to enhance dietary diversity. UNSCN News 43, 33-42 This article is part of a Special Issue published in August entitled 'Advancing equity, equality and non-discrimination in food systems: Pathways to reform’ which is available by clicking here.. The article was also published on the website of the FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub.
