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My research focuses on how railway vegetation can support biodiversity while maintaining safe transport infrastructure. I’m mapping key hotspots where railway vegetation helps connect habitats and developing tools to manage these green spaces more effectively.
Transport Infrastructure maintainers will have access to a methodology to quickly determine important sections along the network where their green verges currently contribute (or will under climate change) to ecological connectivity. This will allow transport professionals to contribute to biodiversity gains in a cost effective manner. This methodology will also help to determine level of risk posed by green assets to operational infrastructure, as well as pinpointing areas where wildlife-vehicle collisions are most likely.
I hope the knowledge of connectivity hotspots along the regional transport network can produce valuable inputs in the development of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy which ultimately rolls up to a landscape-wide nature network for the UK. This prototype methodology will be also be a tool for collaboration between Local Authorities and transport providers to help secure healthy and responsive Nature Networks throughout the UK.
I really enjoyed my recent visit to the United Nations in Geneva, where I did two presentations to the group of experts for climate adaptation of inland transportation. One on Climate Risk and Vulnerability Mapping to inform climate adaption of regional transport networks and the second was about the use of Nature Based Solutions for climate adaptation of transport infrastructure with a number of case studies
Civil Engineering PhD/MPhil
PhD Civil Engineering student at the University of Birmingham
