Summer 2024 Internship Case Study
Olivia Smith (BSc Geography student) completed an evaluation of the nature-based solution potential of the Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh campus (current and future).
This involved an evaluation of current sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) on campus using existing data (i.e. topographic data, land-use and vegetation spatial data, SEPA flood map data, etc.) along with GIS mapping to identify key areas for implementing sustainable solutions. View the map.
Olivia’s project identified areas on our Edinburgh campus where flooding can be an issue before proposing ways in which nature-based solutions could be incorporated into campus management plans to mitigate against future flooding, an issue that is expected to increase in severity with climate change. Biodiversity promotion and enhanced wellbeing provision were also considered as parallel benefits to potential flood prevention schemes and factored into the project conclusions and recommendations.
Olivia’s research and alignment of datasets and real-world observations has identified opportunity areas for green infrastructure implementation across campus, feeding into the university’s wider sustainability goals. This project enabled Olivia to identify areas of interest and develop skillsets which are now being applied to her dissertation on the adoption of green infrastructure systems.