Library of Greening: Surrey University project to create greener planet receives funding boost of over £1 million

Professor Prashant Kumar was chosen to head up a new ‘library of greening’ project named the RECLAIM Network Plus due to having over a decade of experience researching green infrastructure including his work as the founding director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) and as co-director of the Institute for Sustainability at the University of Surrey. Picture: Dean Whiting

A project spearheaded by a professor at the University of Surrey designed to create greener environments across the world has been awarded funding of £1.45 million.

With over a decade of experience researching green infrastructure, Professor Prashant Kumar was chosen to lead the RECLAIM Network Plus - a new project known as a library of greening.

A library of greening is a resource bank that prioritizes environmental sustainability including green building practices, sustainable services and environmental awareness.

UK Research and Innovation have pledged £1.45 million of funding to this project which sees the team at the University of Surrey collaborate with four other institutions - Bangor University, University of Bath, University of Warwick and UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Professor Kumar said: “We are delighted to receive this funding, which will ensure everything we have learned is shared as widely as possible.

“Our research has repeatedly shown that using green spaces, urban design and waterways can make areas more resilient to climate change, improve mental health, tackle social problems and reduce health inequalities.”

The RECLAIM Network Plus, which is free to join and already has over 500 members from 45 different countries, provides access to a growing list of resources on various topics including climate change, green spaces and habitat conservation & restoration.

Professor Kumar emphasised the database is key to bridging the gap in resources, and explained that anyone can access the shared knowledge for the benefit of communities around the world.

He added: “Planting a tree in the wrong place can actually make things worse.

“We want to harvest positive outcomes for those using the library instead of individuals or organisations making decisions which could actually have a negative impact instead.”

Professor Kumar revealed they also offer funding for projects and workshops too, with the latest round of funding supporting six workshops across the UK.

In addition, the project also hosts a free monthly webinar with industry leading speakers focusing on various projects and knowledge within the database.

December’s webinar will feature keynote presentations from Chilean researcher Stella Schroeder on enhancing landscape conservation and Dr Abhijith Kooloth Valappi from the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) speaking about the CoGreen Project at Sandfield Primary School.

Professor Kumar is also the founding director of GCARE and is the co-director of the Institute for Sustainability at the University of Surrey.

He will visit Parliament on 5th December to address MPs as part of the Green Space enquiry to share his wealth of experience and knowledge from the RECLAIM Network Plus, along with his research over the past decade. If you would like to find out more about the library of greening and access the resources, visit: www.reclaim-network.orghttp://www.reclaim-network.org/