Pam Jagger and colleagues Jason West (GSGPH, UNC), Andy Grieshop (NSCU), and Rob Bailis (Stockholm Environment Institute), in collaboration with Drs. Charles Jumbe and Thabbie Chilongo at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) in Malawi have been awarded a Coupled Natural Human (CNH) Systems grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate linkages between the use of biomass in Southern Africa and its coupled impacts on human, terrestrial, and atmospheric systems. The study will characterize the contribution of biomass use to both terrestrial and atmospheric systems to better understand the relative contributions of a wide range of uses to environmental change. Quantitative and qualitative field observations of both human and natural systems will be used for scenario development and to calibrate models of regional climate change to explore how natural and human system resilience can be enhanced at local, national and regional scales. In addition to research, the project involves fostering national and regional-level policy dialogue on coupled human natural systems, and capacity building for CNH research in East and Southern Africa.
Read more at the NSF website.