ÌÇÐÄTV

The Sustainability Spotlight, together with IGFSD colleagues, had a follow-up event at WBS, to hear research initiatives from sustainability champions, and to discuss how best the spotlight can support them, in the course of the year. Initiatives came from PAIS, WBS, WMG, Stats, Law, and Economics, offering such a breadth and depth of sustainability research across the university! Thank you to all who joined us on the day, and to Cher and Tanya - for such an efficient (and yummy) organisation and lunch!

On 27 August 2025, Dr Feng Mao participated as a discussant in the panel discussion Geographies of Comparative Hydrology: Tools for Understanding River Basin Space-Time Patterns and Processes in a Changing World at the Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference.

Chaired by Professor David Hannah, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) at the University of Birmingham, the session brought together leading scholars to explore the opportunities and challenges of comparative hydrology. This emerging field examines river basins across regions and scales, comparing hydrological processes such as floods, droughts, water quality, and regimes. By situating these processes in their geographical contexts, comparative hydrology helps researchers identify patterns, develop predictive tools, and inform sustainable water management strategies.

Dr Mao contributed insights on how comparative hydrological approaches can enhance understanding of water security and resilience under climate change, particularly through comparative studies, innovative data approaches, and the integration of global datasets with hyper-local contexts.

The discussion highlighted the vital role of comparative hydrology in shaping adaptive, location-specific responses to water-related challenges in a rapidly changing world.

In its second iteration, the ÌÇÐÄTV Sustainability Forum (WSF) brought together a passionate community of researchers with a focus on sustainability across and beyond ÌÇÐÄTV, to collectively plan our actions towards addressing global planetary challenges in 2025/26, and to discuss the next BIG ISSUES for the sustainability agenda, regionally, nationally and internationally. The WSF was attended by nearly 60 researchers from across all Faculties representing many disciplines, to:

• To report on the Sustainability Spotlight KPIs for 2024/25 premised on Sustainability Spotlight Report 2024: Time to Talk.
• To take stock of new ideas and priorities for the Sustainability Spotlight 2025/26, and identify champions to lead them
• To collectively discuss the NEXT BIG ISSUES for sustainability for the UK and globally, in conversation with a higher-level roundtable.
• To develop an Action Plan for 2025/26 – for finalisation in September 2025

The Sustainability Spotlights leads reported about the year's activities, challenges and achievements. Their presentations were continued with reflection and action sessions, planning 2025/26. The WSF also involved external stakeholders, including from partner universities in Uzbekistan (Akram Umarov UWED), Azerbaijan (Nargiz Ismayilova, ADA University) and India (Seema Mundoli, Azim Premji University), to shape the next year's agenda together. It concluded with a high-level roundtable, masterfully chaired by Stuart Coles (WMG), to discuss the next BIG Issues of the sustainability agenda, locally and globally. The speakers included Lord Teverson, Dr Kathryn Magnay (EPSRC), Fajli BIB (GSI), Julie Walden (E.ON), Margot James (Coventry Climate Change Board), and Muneeba Amjad (ÌÇÐÄTV SU). Thereafter people continued their conversations and networking on a FAB terrace, enjoying beautiful weather and wine reception!

The WSF will produce a ‘From reflection to action’ report 2024/25, outline ideas for the 2025/26 Action Plan and identify champions for 2025/26 (to become new members of the Steering Group). We conclude this year's forum on a positive note, with a high appraisal from the University Review Board, and a lot of achievements to celebrate. We look forward to the next year, and thank all those who got involved with us this year - especially Sustainability Steering Group members! - Sustainability Professional Support Team - Cher Zou and Tanya Liguori - and our Facilitation team - Christine Bell and Amelia Wakeford.

For more information please visit the WSF page here.