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Administrative
Host
TNEP operates as a research partnership and draws on the
support of its partners in many ways. The administrative
side of the research is hosted by a major partner on a
rotating bases.
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2007
- 2008
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Griffith
University , Australia
In January 2007 our team
made its first rotation to be hosted by the Centre
for Environment and Systems Research (CESR) at
Griffith University. Under the Director and mentoring
of the Head of Environmental Engineering at Griffith
University, Bofu Yu. |
The mission
of the Centre for Environmental Systems Research is
to develop our understanding of technology and management
strategies, engineering designs, and management strategies,
to deal with the ever-increasing effects of our growing
populations on the systems that maintain our environment,
both locally and globally, in a habitable and sustainable
state.
The Centre
taps potential synergies between modellers, scientists,
engineers and social scientists. Modelling provides
a classification of knowledge, identifies weaknesses,
and provides explicative and predictive models that
can be used by stakeholders and managers. These models
may also provide strategies to alleviate or at least
soften the impact of the growing population, but they
can also influence the development of socio-cultural
structure and change.
Scientists
observe, develop knowledge and technologies, and use
models to develop practical technologies and management
options. Engineers consult with stakeholders and design
urban and regional systems. Social scientists understand
the social contexts of stakeholders, estimate the costs
and benefits, develop management policies based on knowledge
and models, and assist with adoption. Concerns from
the community are included and they become co-authors
of management policy in addition to being one of the
main beneficiaries.
The Centre
draws together a range of scientists to focus on interdisciplinary
research into environmental systems. The centre focuses
on research in four broad themes:
Impacts on
Environmental Systems
Knowledge
of the effects and degradation properties of contaminants
in different sectors of the environment is required
to assess risk and to design mitigation technologies
and strategies. Research is conducted into the properties
of pollutant mixtures, particularly in the accumulation
and biodegradation processes. Wastewater streams contain
endocrine-disrupting toxins and pathogens which can
harm some species, but which can be removed by other
plant species and also soils.
Preventing
the Release of Pollutants
Contaminants
are released from many sources including transport and
manufacturing industries, municipal land fills, domestic
wastewater, and other diverse sources. These releases
can be reduced by the redesign of the systems, including
“beginning of pipe” changes in management strategies
and “end of pipe” developments in emission technologies.
The “beginning of pipe” approach considers the concept
of cleaner production through waste minimisation and
resource conservation (traditional industrial ecology)
rather than focussing on output efficiency. The “end
of pipe” approach is to remove pollutants from exhaust
streams before release to the receiving environment.
This can include wet and dry filtration of solid particulates
and microbes or viruses from gas streams. It can also
include the removal of nutrients and pathogens from
waste water using porous paving and plant beds, and
is especially important to a dry continent like Australia.
Managing
Contaminants in Urban and Environmental Systems
The transport
and accumulation of contaminants over a range of temporal
and spatial scales is researched through field and satellite
observations, providing the basis to evaluate management
options using numerical models. The Centre has projects
that design, construct and monitor wetlands to capture
sediments and nutrients from water. The removal of arsenic
from drinking water using clay-based technology is already
the subject of an agreement with Bangladesh. Erosion
affects water quality through turbidity in the water
column, and this then affects the biosphere. Management
practices to prevent erosion taking place, and to trap
the water-borne particles using swales, barriers and
socks are also being investigated by the Centre.
Modelling,
Management and Stakeholders
CESR addresses
itself to emerging questions relating to modelling environmental
systems. These include the appropriate scaling of biophysical
processes in both time and space, and the indicative
scale of averaging that is needed to describe and model
these processes. This falls under the general rubric
of “Complex Systems” that also links the biophysical,
socio-cultural and socio-economic areas. The complexities
of risk and uncertainty, their categorisation and role
in environmental systems and environmental models are
explored. The management of future urban and natural
ecology and systems depends on involving stakeholders
in the investigation process, and also in considering
the suggested trial solutions or scenarios. This can
be done through community consultation and involvement,
and through the use of models. User-friendly models
can be developed to enable stakeholders to test their
own scenarios and suggested options.
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