Natural Resources

Our focus

Water - locally

Population increases and climate-driven changes are predicted to cause significant water shortages affecting the South of England by 2050 without preventative measures. 

However, our research has led to improvements in water supply services in the South. By collaborating with the UK water industry, researchers have developed low-cost tools to protect water supplies and improve water quality.

Through partnerships with the university, water companies such as South East Water, Southern Water and Thames Water have been able to take immediate actions that enable them to provide cleaner, more secure water supplies to millions of customers. 

Water - globally

Global water quality and treatment are significant issues to environmental and public health. 

University of Brighton researchers develop and apply practical low-cost tools that either detect or interrupt the environmental transmission of human diseases, with a particular focus on the world’s poorest communities.  

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO and UNICEF produced interim guidance entitled 'Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management for the COVID-19 virus' to aid global efforts to control the disease. Our phage and lime-based research are used in this guidance, demonstrating the flexibility of solutions developed at University of Brighton to protect human health in low-resource settings. 

Air

Poor air quality is believed to result in over 50,000 premature deaths each year in the UK, and is thought to reduce people’s life expectancy by an average of nine months across the European Union.  

Research at the University of Brighton is working to address the serious threats posed by climate change and air pollution. This vital work includes collaborative air quality research and monitoring, and provides actionable recommendations to policymakers and the general public to work towards a greener future.

The JOAQUIN Advanced Air Quality research Station (JAAQS) monitors modern-day air pollutants and provides a unique ability to share the vital information required to help improve the quality of our air and protect our health with policy makers, scientists and the general public. 

The University's Brighton Atmospheric Observatory (BAO) has partnered with the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) as a community observatory under the Atmospheric Monitoring and Observations Facility (AMOF) network. This collaboration puts the University at the heart of national and international level science surrounding vital atmospheric and air quality research. 

Drones: small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) 

Our global environmental and public health work is supported by a suite of drones (or sUAS) for the capture of multispectral imagery, three-dimensional modelling and video footage, which is enhanced by our expertise in advanced remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 

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