Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/S009019/2
GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor MA Sutton, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr M Bowes, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Water Resources (Wallingford)
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor J Smith, University of Aberdeen, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr H PATHAK, ICAR - National Rice Res Inst (NRRI), Crop Production
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr T Aziz, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor R RAMACHANDRAN, NCSCM (Nat Ctr Sustainable Coastal Mgnt), Head Office
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor K Dahal, Tribhuvan University, Inst of Agriculture and Animal Science
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor S P Nissanka, University of Peradeniya, Agricultural Economics & Business Manage
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr R Singh, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Environmental Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr S Mohamed, The Maldives National University, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor UME Skiba, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr M Rahman, Bangabandhu S Mujibur Rahman Agri Univ, Soil Science
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor R Jeffery, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Social and Political Science
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr PJ Skuce, Moredun Research Institute, Vaccines and Diagnostics
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor DS Reay, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Geosciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr P Ramachandran, NCSCM (Nat Ctr Sustainable Coastal Mgnt), Head Office
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr s s bandyopadhyay, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Environmental Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr M Vieno, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor M Suar, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technolo, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr C Barnes, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Geosciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr A Ganesan, University of Bristol, Geographical Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor P Smith, University of Aberdeen, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr VA Bell, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Hydro-climate Risks
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr D Jena, KIIT University, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor T Iqbal, University of Rajshahi, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor P Shewry, Rothamsted Research, Sustainable Soils and Crops
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr T Pellny, Rothamsted Research, Plant Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr SC Painter, National Oceanography Centre, Science and Technology
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr A Naseer, The Maldives National University, Research Centre
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr Z Safi, University of Kabul, Earth Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor AD Dangour, London Sch of Hygiene & Tropic. Medicine, Epidemiology and Population Health
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor T Misselbrook, Rothamsted Research, Net Zero and Resilient Farming
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr C Howard, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr A Anik, Bangabandhu S Mujibur Rahman Agri Univ, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Mrs A Shazly, The Maldives National University, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor TK Adhya, KIIT University, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor AW Tudhope, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Geosciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr U Dragosits, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor B Rees, SRUC, Research
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor S Reis, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Mr D Tshering, Royal University of Bhutan, Sherubtse College
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr LM Cardenas, Rothamsted Research, Net Zero and Resilient Farming
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor R Nandula, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha Uni, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr J Hillier, University of Edinburgh, Roslin Institute
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr A Wakeel, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr A Bhatia, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Environmental Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr CJ Ellis, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Cryptogamic Plants and Fungi
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor RN SUBUDHI, KIIT University, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor M Pinnawala, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Social Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor D Stevenson, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Geosciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor J Holt, National Oceanography Centre, Science and Technology
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor A Price, University of Aberdeen, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr S Tripathy, KIIT University, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr V Eory, SRUC, Research
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr E Nemitz, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr G Beig, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Physical Meteorology and Aerology
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr N Jain, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Environmental Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr U N Naher, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Prof. I Allen, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth Marine Lab
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor N Dise, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor L Grant, University of Edinburgh, Centre of Population Health Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor A AHMAD, Aligarh Muslim University, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr A Gathorne-Hardy, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Geosciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor S Brandani, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr D Subrahmanyam, Indian Council of Agri Research (ICAR), UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr J Drewer, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr S Sharma, Kathmandu University, Research
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr S S CHATTERJEE, TERI University, Faculty of Policy and Planning
- Science Area:
- None
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- None
- Science Topics:
- Conservation Ecology
- Soil science
- Coral reefs
- Ecosystem function
- Agricultural systems
- Land - Atmosphere Interactions
- Abstract:
- Humans have massively altered flows of nitrogen on our planet, leading to both benefits for food production and multiple threats to the environment. There are few places on Earth more affected than South Asia, with levels of nitrogen pollution rapidly increasing. The result is a web of interlinked problems, as nitrogen losses from agriculture and from fossil fuel combustion cause air and water pollution. This damages human health, threatens biodiversity of forests and rivers, and leads to coastal and marine pollution that exacerbates the effects of climate change, such as by predisposing reefs to coral bleaching. Altogether, it is clear that nitrogen pollution is something we should be taking very seriously. The amazing thing is that so few people have heard of the problem. Everyone knows about climate change and carbon footprints, but how many people are aware that nitrogen pollution is just as significant? One reason for this is that scientists and policy makers have traditionally specialised. Different experts have focused on different parts of the nitrogen story, and few have the expertise to see how all the issues fit together. This challenge is taken up by a major new research hub established under the UK Global Challenge Research Fund. The "GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub" is a partnership that brings together 32 leading research organisations with project engagement partners from the UK and South Asia. All eight countries of the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) are included. The hub includes research on how to improve nitrogen management in agriculture, saving money on fertilizers and making better use of manure, urine and natural nitrogen fixation processes. It highlights options for more profitable and cleaner farming for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives. At the same time, the hub considers how nitrogen pollution could be turned back to fertilizer, for example by capturing nitrogen oxide gas from factories and converting it into nitrate. The fact that all the SACEP countries are included is really important. It means that lessons can be shared on good experiences as well as on whether there are cultural, economic and environmental differences that prevent better management practices from being adopted. It is also important from the perspective of international diplomacy, and provides an example to demonstrate how working together on a common problem is in everyone's interest. It puts the focus on future cooperation for a healthier planet, rather than on the past. The South Asian case provides for some exciting scientific, social, cultural and economic research challenges. The first is simply to get all the researchers talking together and understanding each other. There are dozens of languages in South Asia, matching the challenge met when different research disciplines come together. This is where developing a shared language around nitrogen can really help. There are lots of nitrogen forms ranging from unreactive atmospheric nitrogen (N2), to the air pollutants ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), to nitrate (NO3-) which contaminates watercourses, and nitrous oxide (N2O) which is a greenhouse gas. The impacts of each of these are being studied to provide a better understanding of how they all fit together. The result is an approach that aims to give a much more coherent picture of the nitrogen cycle in South Asia: What is stopping us from taking action, and what can be done about it. One of the big expectations is that the economic value of nitrogen will help. India alone spends around #6 billion per year subsidising fertilizer supply. It means that South Asian governments are strongly motivated to use nitrogen better. At which point research from the South Asian hub can provide guidance on where they might start.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/S009019/2
- Grant Stage:
- Awaiting Termination
- Scheme:
- RCUK
- Grant Status:
- Active
- Programme:
- 18GCRFHubsFull
This grant award has a total value of £15,378,581
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Exception - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DI - T&S | DA - Other Directly Allocated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £579,293 | £7,350,056 | £2,420,192 | £541,481 | £1,101,440 | £2,806,253 | £547,315 | £32,549 |
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