Geography & Environmental Science Seminar Seminar

Speakers:

Dr Dhritiraj Sengupta - https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5zf559/doctor-dhritiraj-sengupta

Title: Global Trends and Patterns of coastal land reclamation in the Anthroprocene

Increasing population size and economic dependence on the coastal zone, coupled with the growing need for residential, agricultural, industrial, commercial and green space infrastructure, are key drivers of land reclamation. Until now, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the global distribution of land use on reclaimed space at the coast. Here, we analyse Landsat satellite imagery from 2000 to 2020 to quantify the spatial extent, scale, and land use of urban coastal reclamation for 136 cities with populations in excess of one million.  Findings indicate that 78% (106/136) of these major coastal cities have resorted to reclamation as a source of new ground, contributing a total 253,000 ha of additional land to the Earth’s surface in the 21st century, equivalent to an area the size of Luxembourg. Reclamation is especially prominent in East Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, followed by Western Europe and West Africa. The most common land uses on reclaimed spaces are port extension (>70 cities), followed by residential/commercial (30 cities) and industrial (19 cities). While  increased global trade and the rapid urbanization have driven these uses, we argue that a city’s prestigious place-making effort to gain global reputation is emerging as another major driver underlying recent reclamation projects to create tourist and green spaces Meanwhile, the study suggests that 70% of recent reclamation has occurred in areas identified as potentially exposed to extreme sea level rise (SLR) by 2100 and this presents a significant challenge to sustainable development at the coast. 

Winfred W. Dotse-Gborgbortsi - https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5xh826/mr-winfred-dotse-gborgbortsi

Title: Maternal health research and stakeholder engagement: Sharing lessons learnt

In the past few years, Winfred researched spatial patterns of birthing service use in Ghana. His research has provided essential information for improving access and quality of maternal health services in Ghana. He would be presenting some key outputs. The seminar would primarily focus on his engagements with stakeholders and colleagues, particularly the Ghana Health Service and other international agencies to share his works. His research outputs and engagements with stakeholders led to a research impact prize nomination. He will share experiences that led to his nomination for the ESRC Impact Prize Award Early Career Researcher category.