Project title: Experimental Methods for Ecosystems Services Assessment of Urban Lakes under Climate Changes (EMERSA)

Project number: PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2016-1300

Contract no.: 56PED/2017

Funding body: The Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI)

Budget: 596.500 RON

Period: 2017-2018

Coordinating institution: University of Bucharest, UB; Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, CCMESI

Partner: National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics (INOE)

UB, CCMESI Team:

Cristian Ioan Ioja – Project Manager
Sorin Cheval – Researcher
Laurentiu Rozylowicz – Researcher
Mihai Razvan Nita – Researcher
Diana Andreea Onose – Researcher
Gabriel Ovidiu Vanau – Researcher
Constantina Alina Hossu – Researcher
Ionut Cosmin Sandric – Researcher
Denisa Lavinia Badiu – Researcher
Gabriela Osaci-Costache – Researcher
Odelin Talaba – Technician
Ana Maria Popa – Technician

INOE Team:

Elfrida Mihaela Carstea – INOE Responsible
Simona Andrei – Researcher
Luminita Marmureanu – Researcher
Dragos Valentin Ene – Researcher
Dan Savastru – Researcher
Ionela Simona Dontu – Researcher
Alexandru Dandocsi – Technician

Abstract:
Urban ecosystems services assessment is an important challenge for practitioners, due to the high complexity of relations between urban systems components, high vulnerability to climate change, and consequences in social-economical systems. Urban lakes represent a significant component in several Romanian cities (average 5% of total surface). Adequate urban management supports diverse benefits of urban lakes: clean water availability, mediation of waste, toxics and other nuisance, air quality and climate regulation, support for physical, intellectual or spiritual interactions. Due to underestimation of climate change and misfit urban planning decision, these benefits may be lost or changed into disservices. The aim of the project is to assess the potential changes in urban ecosystems services supplied by urban lakes under land use and climate change, considering the Smart Cities principles. Using innovative and traditional methods (e.g. spatial modeling, scenarios, LIDAR, fluorescence, sensors, remote sensing, expert opinion), the project experiments the evolution of ecosystems services of urban lakes under the pressure of urbanization and climate change. Considering three case studies, it will assess the actual level of main urban lakes` ecosystems services supplying: climate and air quality regulation, water self-treatment and cultural services. Considering these results, the multicriteria spatial models are proposed to validate and to generate an integrative overview of urban lakes` ecosystem services supply. Land-use and climate changes scenarios will prove the future evolution of urban lakes functions and will emphasize the direction to be targeted towards SMART territorial planning decisions.

Main Results

Articles

Conferences

Scientific reports

Phase 1 – Scientific Report 2017

Phase 2 – Scientific Report 2018

Final Phase  – Final Report