Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/Z504002/1
Muir is Tir (Land and Sea) - Adapting to coastal change on Barra and Vatersay
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr H Lynch, Glasgow Caledonian University, Sch of Health and Life Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor R Emmanuel, Glasgow Caledonian University, Sch of Engineering & Built Environment
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr R J Harkness, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr A Gonzalez Ollauri, Glasgow Caledonian University, Sch of Engineering & Built Environment
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor S Mickovski, Glasgow Caledonian University, Sch of Engineering & Built Environment
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor F Rennie, University of the Highlands and Islands, Lews Castle College UHI
- Co-Investigator:
- Mrs m macleod, University of the Highlands and Islands, Lews Castle College UHI
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor W Austin, University of St Andrews, Geography and Sustainable Development
- Co-Investigator:
- Miss S MacLeod, Voluntary Action Barra & Vatersay, Carbon Neutral Islands
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr E Scott, Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaid, UNLISTED
- Co-Investigator:
- Miss T T Lynch, University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sci
- Grant held at:
- Glasgow Caledonian University, Sch of Health and Life Sciences
- Science Area:
- None
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- None
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- Muir is Tir (Land and Sea (Gaelic)) is the collaborative vision of the communities of Barra and Vatersay in partnership with social and environmental scientists from Glasgow Caledonian University, University of St Andrews, University of Edinburgh and UHI who desire practical approaches to coastal change that support quality of life for the islands' communities and a flourishing coastline. Our team will deliver innovative environmental science research outputs through collaborative initiatives to collect, monitor, and evidence the nature of coastal changes that severely impact these remote coastal communities. Then co-create nature-based solutions (NbS) that promote environmental and community wellbeing. Climate change, sea level rise and extreme weather events detrimentally impact coastal communities across the world. While these accelerating coastal changes are increasingly understood as the result of anthropogenic impacts on the climate system, their interconnected effects on social and cultural community prosperity resulting from the disturbance of the local natural environment are less well understood. Adapting to this challenge requires a dual focus on the natural environment and community wellbeing. However, meaningful community involvement is widely acknowledged as a weak area of environmental science, as community interests are rarely taken into account within mainstream scientific methods. To be effective adaptation science must take a holistic approach that includes social and cultural knowledge alongside environmental science. Muir is Tir addresses this imperative through participatory, interdisciplinary, research with coastal communities. The engaged, collaborative process through which Muir is Tir has been developed strongly suggests that coastal erosion and flooding pose a threat not just to the natural environment and property but also to economies of tourism and crofting, heritage sites and vital services. Erosion and flooding are exacerbated by extreme weather and the Met Office's additional storm days forecast for this area, will only make the current situation worse. This generates anxiety for many islanders who worry that the islands could become uninhabitable. Muir is Tir offers a response to this problem through a practical collaborative research approach that will co-create scientific knowledge of the drivers of coastal change and NbS that respond to these. Our Participatory Action Research (PAR) will generate a practical understanding of the relationship between the science of coastal change and community impacts that relate to ecology, economy and cultural identity. We will produce nature-based solutions and new stories of adaption, that are rooted in traditional island culture and informed by science. This knowledge will directly impact people in Barra and Vatersay, offer valuable insight across Scotland's island and coastal communities, develop scientific and cultural resources relevant to local and national government and generate world-leading insight into interdisciplinary, participatory adaptation research on coastal NbS.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/Z504002/1
- Grant Stage:
- Awaiting Start Confirmation
- Scheme:
- Research Grants
- Grant Status:
- Accepted
- Programme:
- Engaged Environ Science
This grant award has a total value of £850,010
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Exception - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DI - Staff | DA - Estate Costs | Exception - Staff | DI - T&S | Exception - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £103,803 | £9,572 | £186,259 | £108,656 | £149,819 | £19,457 | £177,702 | £93,678 | £1,063 |
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