Blog

In this blog, Dr Kerry Waylen, a senior researcher in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Department at the James Hutton Institute, discusses the practical difficulties in aligning approaches to protect and improve water quality and ecology alongside those for managing flood risk.

With growing pressures on food resources, agricultural inputs (e.g., energy, soil, water), production costs and the environment, many of us are looking at how we can reduce food wastage whilst still ensuring we get adequate nutrition.

The interconnection between people, animals, and their shared environment has been recognized for over a century and recently, the term ’One Health’ has come to describe this connection.

The climate crisis is a problem of global significance and not everyone has the privilege of accessing resources, or having their voices heard. This includes those for whom climate change will impact the greatest – future generations, as often the views of experts and policy makers seem to be given preference over those of the youth.

Water is a vital and essential part of our lives, but the impact of climate change is leading to there being too much water in some places and too little in others. This presents challenges that will require sustainable solutions, tailored to not only the issue but also the locality. Consequently, it is important we understand the many and varied benefits of water as a resource, and how we can tackle the issues we face now, and in the future.

In 2019, a Scottish Health Survey report, commissioned by the Scottish Government, highlighted that two in three adults are classified as overweight or obese (with a body mass index, BMI >25), the highest prevalence since 2003.

Here at SEFARI, we take pride in our partner institutes and their outstanding achievements in research and informing policy. We firmly believe that inequality in the sustainability sector must be addressed and are committed to using our platforms to showcase and commend remarkable women at all stages of their careers. Read on to celebrate the accomplishments of some of the outstanding SEFARI women.

The Moredun Research Institute (one of SEFARI’s members) alongside the Universities of Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow are forming a new and exciting network, called Scottish Parasitology Partnership in Research, Innovation, and Training (SPPIRIT), to support Scotland’s eminent parasitology research.

The climate emergency affects every part of our lives and collaboration within and across sectors is therefore key to addressing this crisis. With collaboration at their core, Scotland’s five Centres of Expertise (CoE) work together to connect research with, and respond to, policy needs across issues which affect the climate, water, animal and plant health, land and communities.

Even though COP26 is now over, there is still a strong focus on initiatives being taken by countries to address climate change. Scotland is committed to reaching net zero by 2045 and to delivering leadership and collaboration within the global response to tackling climate change.