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CAWR Newsletter
July / August 2025
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 equitable, sustainable and resilient food and water systems.'
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Coventry University.
Civil Food Resilience – Developing Localised Strategies for Action: Seminar at Ryton Gardens with Prof Tim Lang
Prof Tim Lang delivering his seminar
On Wednesday 16th July, a sunny morning, over 130 people converged at Ryton Gardens to hear Tim Lang, Professor Emeritus of Food Policy at City St George’s, University of London, present and discuss his new report for the National Preparedness Commission: “Just in Case – 7 Steps to Narrow the UK Civil Food Resilience Gap”. This joint event by CAWR and Garden Organic enabled their own personnel as well as food systems collaborators and stakeholders in the Coventry, Rugby and West and East Midlands regions to discuss the opportunities for taking the report’s recommendations forward both by connecting and strengthening existing initiatives and developing new ones at the meso and micro levels.
Tim Lang, with Natalie Neumann and Antony So (2025), Just in Case: narrowing the UK civil food resilience gap. National Preparedness Commission, London.
Tim’s talk will soon be available on our YouTube channel @CAWRCoventryUniversity
Butterflies in the city
Staff and students exploring the rich insect life on campus
On the 8th of July, Coventry University staff and students gathered at the city centre campus to explore the butterflies, bees and other wildlife living there. The butterfly walk was guided by CAWR researcher Judith Conroy who discussed the wide range of insects that are able to make their home in the flower-rich habitat that has been carefully nurtured by the university’s gardeners.
The walk brought together colleagues from a wide range of departments to enjoy nature in a valuable urban green space and is part of an ongoing collaboration between CAWR and the University Grounds Team. There is an ongoing survey open until 10th August for anyone who would like to participate.
Publication Spotlight!!
Dr Bastien Dieppois co-authored a study comparing future changes in flood return periods across 58 West African catchments under two shared socio-economical pathways and two large-scale hydrological models. The paper highlighted that, despite differences in hydrological processes representation and calibration schemes, flood magnitude is projected to increase for 94% of hydrological stations, with some locations experiencing increases exceeding 45 % in magnitude.
Diop, S. B., Ekolu, J., Tramblay, Y., Dieppois, B., Grimaldi, S., Bodian, A., Blanchet, J., Rameshwaran, P., Salamon, P., and Sultan, B. (2025) Climate change impacts on floods in West Africa: New insight from two large-scale hydrological models. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. In-press https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-130
Bastien, Judith, Marina and Luca presenting to the pupils - photographed by Brian
CAWR/GLEA climate action learning with local school
CAWR hosted an event at Ryton Organic Gardens in collaboration with Coventry University’s Centre for Global Learning (GLEA) for pupils from the local Sidney Stringer Academy. As part of the Collaborative Online International Learning Virtual Exchange project, Bastien Dieppois and Judith Conroy gave the visitors a taste of agroecological research by presenting the work and facilities of CAWR. GLEA’s Luca Morini and Brian Nalumenya led a climate action game creation workshop, and Marina Orsini-Jones conducted a focus group gaining valuable insights from the learners.
From L-R Maddy Harland, Patrick McManaway, Eddie Rixon, Julia Wright
Research on Subtle Energies of the Land promoted at Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival
On 2nd July Julia Wright joined a panel of experts at Groundswell to discuss 'Working with Subtle Energies of the Land'. Julia shared the results of a systematic review by doctoral researcher Dr Bojesen Jensen which assessed the scientific evidence for impact of particular innovations on-farm, including acoustic vibrations, electro-magnetic frequencies, intuitive interspecies communication as well as homeopathy and the application of the biodynamic preparations.
Publication Spotlight!!
Dr Bastien Dieppois co-authored a new study analysing historical trends in hydrological droughts across 1466 stations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper identifies a decrease in drought duration and severity from the 1980s across Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper also highlighted that, although meteorological drought broadly align with hydrological drought trends, local environmental factors introduce important variability.
Peña-Angulo, D., Tramblay, Y., Vicente-Serrano, S.M., Ekolu, J., Dieppois, B., El Kenawy, A. (2025) Multidecadal changes in hydrological droughts across Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 60, 102595 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102595
Liliane Binego and Donna Oldbury-Thomas Graduate Together
Dr Donna Oldbury-Thomas and Dr Liliane Binego at graduation
Dr Liliane Binego and Dr Donna Oldbury-Thomas graduated together last month. They’ve shared over a decade of laughter and struggle, and completed PhDs while raising sons and working full-time. Congratulations to both.
Dr Liliane Binego - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'Wild harvesting of edible wild insects for food security in fragile and riskprone settings in East Africa'.
Dr Donna Oldbury-Thomas - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'The influence of the addition of biochar and digestate on short term nitrogen transformations in three contrasting soils'.
Graduation July 2025
Graduation 2025: Anna Bogush, Jhonny Bautista Quispe, Geraldine Brown, Donna Oldbury-Thomas, Liliane Binego, Jana Fried, Ivan Kourtchev, Peter Hollings & Sue Charlesworth
Congratulations to all of our students that graduated on Friday the 25th of July.
Jhonny Ismael Bautista Quispe - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'Biochar-based filtration system for sustainable handwashing wastewater treatment and reuse in remote areas facing water scarcity'.
Ryan Jaromir Dziadowiec - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'Dùthchas: locating and nourishing the roots of Scotland's land reform revolution'.
Job Ekolu - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'Past, present and future trends and variability in hydrological extremes in sub-Saharan Africa'.
Omotola Folorunsho - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'Emerging contaminants and persistent organic pollutants in surface waters: Method development, application, and adsorption behaviour'.
Peter Graham Hollings - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'Treating new and emerging pollutants associated with informal settlements in developing countries using sustainable drainage systems (SuDS): monitoring and modelling'.
Linda Kabaira - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'Exploring alternatives for sustainable agri-food systems design in Africa. Contributions of autonomous organisations and movements. The analysis of SEKEM/Egypt using a transdisciplinary approach'.
Diana Rodriguez Cala - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'The role of the ornamental horticulture sector in plant invasions across Southern Africa'.
Yitbarek Tibebe Weldesemaet - Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of work entitled 'Governance of tree planting in Africa perceptions, performance and a framework for sustainability'.
The World Biogas Expo: a hub for anaerobic digestion and biogas enthusiasts and professionals to connect and collaborate
Generate Upcycle's AD plant
On 9-10 July 2025, the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) and the World Biogas Association (WBA) organised the World Biogas Expo, which featured over 150 exhibitors, live presentations, networking activities, and a site visit. The various talks were not only insightful but also inspiring, unlocking the potential of AD and biogas to achieve net-zero goals. The event was attended by Adhya Tiara, a PGR working jointly between CAWR and CEMR (Centre for e-Mobility and Clean Growth). Adhya is researching the factors influencing the business viability of anaerobic digestion.
Community composting for the bioeconomy
Steph Robinson and ffin Jordão making soil nourishing compost
criw compostio is a community-scale circular economy non-profit based in mid-Wales’ Dyfi Valley, creating soil nourishing compost entirely from waste for use in local organic food growing. Licensed by Natural Resources Wales, criw collects commercial food waste and other biodegradable resources including woody prunings, grass clippings and bedding/droppings from small vegetarian pets like guinea pigs. They also provide training on soil care practices, community composting and bio-waste management systems. With help from the Co-op Foundation's Carbon Innovation Fund, they are now developing a potting-grade compost mix and helping others replicate high quality compost from different waste streams. CAWR’s Judith Conroy is among those supporting them in an advisory capacity. Follow their progress, the ups and downs, through 5 minute reads and podcasts.
CAWR PGR Summer School and BBQ
CAWR PGR's and staff enjoying their BBQ
In July the CAWR PGR summer school was held with its theme of ‘Employment and Employability, how to move forward with your career.’ The day featured talks from internal and external speakers including CAWR alumni, to provide an overview of opportunities and various routes into which a PhD can develop. Featuring a BBQ lunch to encourage social opportunities and networking.
Growing more protein
Lively workshop held at The Pod café, Coventry
With funding from Coventry University’s Sustainability and Clean Growth theme, CAWR’s Gemma Foster and Judith Conroy have been exploring the potential of high-protein crops which are currently underutilised. Local vegetable growers from the Coventry Agroecological Living Lab (CALL) were interviewed and the findings shared in a workshop at The Pod Café, along with a review of Garden Organic’s members’ experiments from the last 25 years; this featured crops such as French and runner beans but also more unusual protein plants like carlin peas, amaranth and edible lupins.
All the participants would like to grow more protein, either by utilising more varieties or increasing yields. The significance of certain crops to Coventry’s traditions and culture, and the need to be resilient to climate change were also important to the group, which is now working with Gemma and Judith to develop a larger project.
OneSTOP Living Lab receives new technologies for invasive species detection
Some of the OneSTOP team at CAWR
On Thursday 7th August, Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz, Helen Bayliss and Sian Green from CAWR were joined by Lori Lawson Handley (UKCEH) and James Lloyd (Platform Kinetic) to trial two Biota Trace airDNA samplers alongside an automated insect monitoring trap from Aarhus University. The technologies will be tested by local Living Lab partners as part of the EU-funded OneSTOP project (https://onestop-project.eu).
Impact News - 'working for change'
Co-Producing Outcome Measures for Practical Skills Therapeutic Education at Ruskin Mill
Dr Margi Lennartsson-Turner and Dr Geraldine Brown visiting Ruskin Mill Trust
Dr Margi Lennartsson Turner and Dr Geraldine Brown were invited by Ruskin Mill Trust (RMT) to share key insights from their research and discuss next steps with staff, postgraduate researchers, the senior leadership team, and trustees. This study represents the culmination of a strong and successful partnership with the RMT team. We are already seeing its influence in practice, through the implementation of a new, research-informed assessment framework across multiple RMT colleges and schools. In addition, a co-developed student self-assessment tool has been introduced, ensuring that the voices and lived experiences of young people are fully embedded in assessment processes and educational planning.
Publications
Bacher S, Ryan-Colton E, Coiro M, Cassey P, Galil BS, Nuñez MA, Ansong M, Dehnen-Schmutz K, Fayvush G, Fernandez RD, Hiremath AJ et al. (2025): Global Impacts Dataset of Invasive Alien Species (GIDIAS). Scientific data12:832. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05184-5
Eluri, A., Gates, W., Callahan, D., Charlesworth, S. M. and Kourtchev, I., Pyrolysis gas chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) method for analysis of phthalic acid esters and its application for screening e-waste materials. Anal. Methods, 2025, DOI: 10.1039/D5AY00987A
Kourtchev, I., McGillen, M. R., Wenger, J., Donahue, N. M. Rethinking environmental boundaries for contaminants of emerging concern. Atmos. Environ. 2025, 361, 121492. DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121492
Diop, S. B., Ekolu, J., Tramblay, Y., Dieppois, B., Grimaldi, S., Bodian, A., Blanchet, J., Rameshwaran, P., Salamon, P., and Sultan, B. (2025) Climate change impacts on floods in West Africa: New insight from two large-scale hydrological models. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. In-press. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-130
Peña-Angulo, D., Tramblay, Y., Vicente-Serrano, S.M., Ekolu, J., Dieppois, B., El Kenawy, A. (2025) Multidecadal changes in hydrological droughts across Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 60, 102595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102595.
EKOLU, DIEPPOIS, DIOP, BODIAN, GRIMALDI, SALAMON, VILLARINI, EDEN, MONERIE, VAN DE WIEL, TRAMBLAY (2025) How could climate change affect the magnitude, duration and frequency of hydrological droughts and floods in West Africa during the 21st century? A storyline approach. Journal of Hydrology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133482
LIU, EDEN, DIEPPOIS, DROBYSHEV, KRIKKEN, BLACKETT (2025) Global assessment of historical changes in extreme fire weather: insight from CMIP6 ensembles and implications for probabilistic attribution to global warming. Global Planet. Change. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104822
Rigg, A., Faedo, L. F., & Aphramor, L. (2025). An Experiment in Changing Ourselves and the World Through Pedagogy. Journal of Critical Dietetics, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.32920/jcd.v8i1.2284
Rastorgueva, N., Bassignana, C. F., Angarita, E., Fasso, A., Hassink, J., Goris, M., Schmutz, U., Conroy, J., Dinç, S., Wezel, A., Migliorini, P. (2025). Agroecological Living Labs as entry points for transition towards sustainable food systems: a novel framework for the evaluation of living labs at different scales. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2025.2477215
D.I. Anene, M. Beltran, B. Tjahjono, A. Schultz, M. McKenzie, S. Stevanovic, A. Bogush. 2025. Microplastics and chemical additives from disposable face masks: Environmental, human health and behavioural impacts, Science of The Total Environment, Vol 973, 179079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179079
Maughan, C., Belletti, G., Marescotti, A., Balázs, B., Lazányi, O., & Mengoni, M. (2025). Against the grain: A commons approach to the governance of ‘Alternative Grain Networks’. Agricultural and Food Economics, 13(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-025-00352-y
Yitbarek, TW, Wilson, JRU, Evans, A, Dehnen-Schmutz, K. (2025). Community perceptions and governance of tree planting schemes in Ethiopia: Insights for sustainable ecological and socioeconomic outcomes. People and Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70022
CHUN, OCTAVIANTI, DOGULU, TYRALIS, PAPACHARALAMPOUS, ROWBERRY, FAN, EVERARD, FRANCESCH-HUIDOBRO, MIGLIARI, HANNAH, MARSHALL, CALASANZ, STADDON, ANSHARYANI, DIEPPOIS et al. (2025) Transforming Disaster Risk Reduction with AI and Big Data: Legal and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. WIREs Data Min. Knowl. Discov.
REDDY, MASSEI, JARDANI, HENRIOT, FOURNIER, DIEPPOIS (2025) Groundwater level projections for aquifers affected by annual to decadal hydroclimate variations: Example of Northern France. Earth’s Future.
BAULON, MASSEI, DIEPPOIS, FOSSA, ALLIER, BESSIERE, FOURNIER (2025) Large-scale climate drivers of groundwater level variations in northern France over the last century. J. Hydrol.
MIRGOL, DIEPPOIS, NORTHEY, JARLAN, KHABBA, LE PAGE, EDEN, EKOLU, EL HAZDOUR, MAHE (2025) Interplay Among Recent Trends in Climate Extremes, Vegetation Phenology, and Crop Production in the Southern Mediterranean Region. Int. J. Clim.
Farrell, M. and Bunting, M.J. (2025) Beyond decline: heathland and the dynamics of cultural and environmental change in Bronze Age Orkney. In Løvschal, M. and Grønneberg, K. (eds) A Place for the Heathlands? Jutland Archaeological Society. https://heathland.place/beyond-decline
Green, S., Fourel, R., Lecourt, G., Grillas, H., 'What we can learn from fruit and nut tree nurseries in the Ardeche' The Organic Grower Magazine, journal of the Organic Growers Alliance, Winter 2024, No 69.
Folorunsho O, Bogush A, Kourtchev I. (2025) Occurrence of emerging and persistent organic pollutants in the rivers Cam, Ouse and Thames, UK. Sci Total Environ. 14;962:178436. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178436.
Bautista Quispe, J. I., Campos, L. C., Trejos, B., & Bogush, A. (2024). Exploring rural school students’ perceptions, willingness, motivations, and concerns regarding greywater treatment and reuse in southern Peru. Sustainable Environment, 11 (1). doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2024.2440960
REDDY, MASSEI, JARDANI, DIEPPOIS et al. (2024) Training deep learning models with a multi-station approach and static aquifer attributes for groundwater level simulation: what’s the best way to leverage regionalised information? HESS. In-press, preprint available at https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-794
