Overview
Belmont Forum, though National Science Foundation funding, provides support to fifteen projects in the Sustainable Urbanization Global Initiative (SUGI) - Food, Water, Energy Nexus. This approach provides a unique collaboration framework for technical and social scientists, small and large businesses, cities and non-governmental organizations, to tackle the urban challenges of food, energy and water.
The SUGI projects involve 134 researchers and project partners from business, public authorities and civil society in 20 countries. In addition to the formal partners many projects also involve extensive groups of local stakeholders. GSS students work closely with some of the SUGI projects. Students visited the projects during the summer 2019 and will return on the summer 2020 and 2021 to develop specific projects with these groups.
Week 1
University of Washington — Seattle, Washington
City Food
Smart city food production systems that span the tropic levels – a water and energy saving approach for global urbanization.
“The first week of the program for the inaugural cohort was unforgettable. We met each other for the first time in Seattle. Director Rowell, faculty, and researchers at the University of Washington College of Built Environments welcomed the group and introduced us to the SUGI project City Food. We learned of the synergies, gaps and “trade-offs” within food, water and energy cycles and nexus. We interacted with stakeholders such as an oyster hatchery operation, community gardens county water treatment authority, and a national grocery chain distribution center. Highlights for us included meeting the Doris Duke Conservation scholars at UW. We also reflected upon the ecological history and heritage of Seattle and how this impacts issues in the food water energy nexus locally.”
— Anthony Erebor, GSS Scholar
Week 2
Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environment
University of the West of England — Bristol, UK
Sunex
Formulating sustainable urban FWE strategy by optimizing the synergies between food, water and energy systems.
“Going abroad! We departed very early in the morning to make the international flight to the United Kingdom. This week, the group was based at the University of West England in the SUGI project SUNEX. Here we visited stakeholders such as city government offices, primarily in the water and energy sector concerned achieving city-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. Backcasting was a key methodology by which we approached carbon neutrality and sustainability issues in Bristol. An interesting presentation was the implementation of a city program that regulates water use and energy performance of appliances for low income residents. We observed and discussed cultural and political similarities and differences between the US and the UK and how this may guide environmental policy and societal response to climate change.”
– Anthony Erebor, GSS Scholar
Week 3
Europäisches Institut für Energieforschung — Karlsruhe, Germany
Creating Interfaces
Building capacity for integrated governance at the food-water-energy-nexus in cities on the water.
“In Karlsruhe, Germany, we had the opportunity to visit Creating Interfaces, a SUGI project focusing on addressing capacity building for the urban FWE nexus and creating linkages between academic researchers and stakeholders to facilitate cooperation and knowledge exchange. Located in the European Institute for Energy Research (EIFER,) we spoke with Sociologist, Pia Laborgne and Dr. Jochen Wendel, a GIS specialist, on using a "Living Lab" approach for collecting reliable qualitative data from the communities in question. We spoke with a variety of academic researchers and local community centers regarding how they work together to bring awareness and education to the prevalent sustainability-related subjects. It was awe-inspiring to see specialists from different academic backgrounds come together and take stakeholder involvement seriously in their research.”
— Mayra Ona, GSS Scholar
Week 4
Center for Innovation and Science on Building Green
Technische Universitat Berlin — Berlin, Germany
Vertical Green
Vertical greening for livable cities – innovation to facilitate the breakthrough of an old concept.
“In Berlin, Germany, we visited Vertical Green 2.0, a project focused on exploring the various potentials and challenges of vertical facades. During our time in Berlin, we had the opportunity to visit various examples of ongoing vertical green research and its ability to recycle rainwater and greywater, produce food or bio-energy, and to generate green spaces in local communities. It was essential to note that they were willing to adapt the design of their vertical facades according to stakeholder needs, accommodating to architectural challenges plus reducing maintenance costs.”
— Mayra Ona, GSS Scholar
Week 5
IGB - Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries — Berlin, Germany
City Food
Smart integrated multitrophic city food production systems – a water and energy saving approach for global urbanization.
“Being on the outskirts of Berlin for a week was a welcome change of scenery. Having been in cities the previous four weeks, it was incredibly refreshing having some time on Lake Mugglesee. With our CityFood Berlin PI, Hendrik, we explored the complex hydroponics systems. We learned all about what goes into managing the fish (tilapia) and tomatoes production, as well as how to do this at a large scale which is required in order to turn a profit in the business. We also explored a living lab, called FEZ City. FEZ is a simulated city where children could hold jobs and manage money on their own. There was also plenty of time to relax, with a beach nearby and an all-day boat trip planned!”
– Epongue Ekille, GSS Scholar
Week 6
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ — Liepzeg, Germany
Fuse
Food-water-energy for Urban Sustainable Environments Partners.
“We left Berlin early in the morning to make our way to the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, in Leipzig to learn about the FUSE Project. That day, we spent a lot of time looking at big picture ideas rather than focusing on the details of the project. We did a role playing exercise, choosing different stakeholders in either a Californian drought or a Californian wildfire, as well as some brainstorming as to what our ideal future was like. Upon returning to Berlin, we took the time to do a bit of synthesis on what had happened the last five weeks. Dr. Makyba Charles-Ayinde from NSF joined us for that week, listening to the breakthroughs along with the qualms we had during the program. It was a week filled with a large amount of discussion, some difficult but others eye-opening. With the “photo voice” project, each of us had the opportunity to express what we had individually learned, both academically and socially. Hearing from the fellows and Makyba was fantastic. It was also great for Kirsten to be another set of ears there! By the end of the program, all nine of us had become incredibly close. I am so glad to have a new set of forever friends.”
– Epongue Ekille, GSS Scholar
Support our students! All donations directly support Global Sustainability Scholars and Fellows. Successful global sustainability solutions are inclusive, involving a diversity of stakeholders and incorporating multiple values. Our program does just that, brings in the voices and perspectives across borders and cultures, trains them in doing trans-disciplinary research and builds their international professional network.