Funded Research (2011-2021)

Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM)

NSF IRES – Indonesia. Coastal cities worldwide are facing the enormous task to become resilient against physical, social and economic challenges, in addition to challenges due to climate variations. Semarang (Indonesia) is one of the cities that exemplifies the multiple threats affecting society, economy, environment, and infrastructure. Assessing the impacts of present and future coastal hazards requires an understanding of the complex interactions between geological, hydrological, biophysical and socioeconomic systems. This can be best achieved by an integrated approach that includes research on both land and sea dynamics to identify natural and anthropogenic factors, their relative influences and related consequences. This project seeks to undertake effective, innovative, and transformative research to understand how coastal environments respond to natural and anthropogenic factors. 

China Belt RoadGlobal financial investments in energy production and consumption are significant since all aspects of a country’s economic activity and development require energy resources. In this paper, we assess the investment trends in the global energy sector during, before, and after the financial crisis of 2008 using two data sources: (1) The Dealogic database providing cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As); and (2) The “fDi Intelligence fDi Markets” database providing Greenfield (GF) foreign direct investments (FDIs). We highlight the changing role of China and compare its M&A and GF FDI activities to those of the United States, Germany, UK, Japan, and others during this period. We analyze the investments along each segment of the energy supply chain of these countries to highlight the geographical origin and destination, sectoral distribution, and cross-border M&As and GF FDI activities.

Lake VictoriaThis project resulted in Yaxiong Ma’s research on developing new metrics for identifying floating vegetation in Lake Kyoga. 

Natural Gas Leaks This is a NSF funded project. This interdisciplinary research project examined the connectivity and functional interdependencies among co-located, critical infrastructure systems, such as gas, water and sewer pipes, roads, and the urban canopy, as well as the networks of people and institutions that depend on and manage and maintain the urban infrastructure. The project centered on an aged, leaking natural gas pipeline system that damages the urban forest canopy, creates road repair problems, degrades air quality, contributes to atmospheric warming, and can endanger human safety through explosion risks. By explicitly mapping out hidden and unrecognized physical and social linkages among critical urban infrastructure systems, the project  provides a foundation for more effective, coordinated urban infrastructure management and maintenance.  Yaxiong Ma and Jessica Wright were supported on this grant. The project resulted in publications and presentations. 

Public Health in Kenya: This research undertaken with Professor Lawrence Were involved students in various GIS classes (2018-2020) focuses on marginalized and high risk populations such as informal traders and HIV+ individuals including pregnant women and their children. We use GIS and geospatial analysis to examine accessibility and utilization of health facilities and insurance. 

National Science Foundation – GK 12 Grant Gopal is the Principal Investigator on a five-year, $2.8M NSF GK12 grant that integrates STEM research related to global change into K-12 science curricula in local schools, through research fellows, who IMG_0812are graduate students in the Departments of Earth & Environment, Astronomy, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Statistics and the School of Engineering. Details of this grant including Co-PIs are in http://gk12glacier.bu.edu/

Les Kaufman, Irit Altman, Josh Pitts, and Roel Bourmans.

The Mekong River and Tonlé Sap ecosystem deliver goods and services to nearly three million people living in or around the lake such as drinking water, fish and other food, and protection from storms. In this work we focus on understanding and modeling critical ecosystem services including fish, rice and biodiversity in the region. Our goal is to understand which natural resource management decisions ensure that livelihood and wellbeing opportunities are protected for Cambodians now and into the future. Our website with all MIDAS details are here.

See the following article link on Cambodia  and NY Times.

Maternal Mortality – Collaborator David Hammer
Graduate Research Assistants: Lindsey Everett, and Matt Thomas

Zambia

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