Ashish Sharma, climate and urban sustainability lead for the Discovery Partners Institute at the University of Illinois, will give the talk, “Climate Science to Actionable Urban Solutions,” at 4 p.m. Monday, April 22, via Zoom.

“In the last century, research on urban systems dynamics has improved our understanding, leading to data-driven tools for effective urban management, including predictive analytics and simulation models but despite these advances, achieving sustainability goals remains a challenge for cities,” Sharma said. “The historical focus on system-scale decisions must now consider the influence of urban gradients and their connections to external and internal factors. In my presentation, I will address key questions on scale selection, dimensions and modeling, covering city-to-street scales and system-level modeling in areas like heat, pollution, energy and environmental justice. Emphasizing community-driven interdisciplinary urban science, I will share solutions that empower urban communities and ecosystems to thrive amid evolving challenges.”

The Discovery Partners Institute studies land surface-atmosphere interactions that impact urban fluid dynamics and boundary layer flow at multiple spatial scales, from regional to local.

The institute also conducts collaborative and translational research that benefits society at the intersection of science, engineering and social sciences.

It also contributes to developing technologically-engineered-ecological solutions to complex environmental challenges for sustainable and climate-resilient urban development.

Sharma is also a faculty member in the Department of Climate, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and holds a joint appointment as a climate scientist at Argonne National Laboratory.

His research interests lie in atmospheric sciences and land/ocean-atmosphere interactions at a range of spatial scales that are relevant to the management of human and natural systems.

His research focuses on reducing vulnerabilities and increasing readiness in urban, agricultural and natural environments in a changing climate.

The talk is part of the EarthTalks spring 2024 series, “Urban Systems Science,” which is exploring complex urban systems, including interactions between tightly connected human and natural systems both within city boundaries and between cities and the surrounding rural environment.

For more information about the spring 2024 series, visit the EarthTalks website.

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[Posted: April 17, 2024]

4/22/2024