Lab Highlights from EGU 2026 in Vienna
From 3 to 8 May 2026, members of our lab (research fellow Dr Xu Rong Hua, Dr Atmaja Baruah, and PhD candidate Sammie Ng) attended the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2026 in Vienna, Austria. They presented research spanning regional-scale ecological assessments across Southeast Asia and community-level urban nature-based solutions in Bangkok. It was also wonderful to catch up with lab alumnus Dr Erich Wolff during the conference!
During Session BG3.7 on Land use, land management, and land cover change (LULCC) and their effects on the Earth system, Dr Xu Rong Hua delivered an oral presentation titled “Projected Hotspots of Carbon Sink Loss under Urban Expansion in Southeast Asia by 2050.” The study integrates urban growth modelling and carbon sink exposure to identify critical ecological hotspots, helping inform regional conservation priorities and targeted nature-based solutions.
During Session ITS4.9/HS12.5 on Nature-based solutions for climate-resilient landscapes: bridging science, practice, and policy, Dr Atmaja Baruah presented a poster titled "Community Gardens as Small-Scale Nature-Based Solutions in Upgraded Informal Settlements: Spatial Typologies and Decision-Support Insights from Bangkok." This study explores how community gardens serve as flexible, locally driven green spaces in crowded neighbourhoods where land is scarce, and space is contested.
Alongside this work, during Session ITS4.11/NH13.9 on Nature-based and community-led strategies for disaster risk reduction, ecosystem restoration (land, water and biodiversity), and climate change adaptation in socio-ecological systems, Sammie Ng presented another poster on "Applying the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework for Community-Based, Urban Nature-Based Solutions: Informal Settlement Upgrading Projects in Bangkok." Bringing governance research to a geoscience conference was both challenging and rewarding. For Sammie, connecting with natural scientists who have started to think more about the ‘human aspect’ was especially heartening, as we believe in more interdisciplinary approaches to environmental sciences!
It was an inspiring week of new perspectives and collaborative discussions at EGU. Stay tuned as we continue to push our work in these directions.
