Sue Charlesworth

Susanne Charlesworth is a Professor in Urban Physical Geography at Coventry University in the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience. She is the author of more than 70 peer reviewed journal articles on urban pollution and Sustainable drainage (SuDS), many book chapters, and has co-edited books on Sustainable Drainage, urban pollution, aquatic sedimentology and water resources. She collaborates with groups internationally and has given papers at international conferences worldwide

SuDS seemed like the logical move from my earlier interest in urban sedimentology and geochemistry associated with rivers, streams, soil and street dusts. These materials can be highly polluted and in developed countries 85% of people live in urban areas, worldwide >50% live in cities, thus the impacts can be far-reaching. With climate change and the problems associated with greenhouse gases, there needs to be a means of tackling these issues with a multiple benefit, flexible approach, and SuDS can offer such a management strategy. The role of Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services provision led to an interest in Natural Flood Management (NFM) by Working with Natural processes at the catchment scale. Latterly, Sue has become particularly interested in the design and installation of SuDS and NFM alongside Water, Sanitation and Health in informal settlements, favelas and refugee camps. There is the potential to address disease vecors such as mosquitos by managing greywater disposal and stormwater management using SuDS approaches and thus reducing the incidence of viruses causing zika, dengue or chikungunya. Its uptake in England and Wales is less than would be hoped, so through my research I would like to be able to be instrumental in providing the information necessary to encourage its uptake by practitioners and stakeholders.

SuDS; design and installation of SuDS in informal settlements, favelas and refugee camps; role of Green Infrastructure; Ecosystem Services Provision; Urban lake and river sediments; Urban Physical Processes: Urban Hydrology; The risk to children’s health of contaminants in playground material;  Efficiency of porous paving in degrading oil and dealing with metal pollutants