Capstone Project Proposals on Offer

1. Understanding and Predicting Dzud Events and Their Impacts in Middle and High Latitude Drylands

Led by Professor Kyle McDonald (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)

Objective:
Students will characterize dzud event risk and severity, assessing relationships between remote sensing

datasets (e.g. soil moisture, vegetation stress, landscape freeze/thaw state), dzud events, and associated socioeconomic impacts. Based on this analysis, students will develop an assessment framework for use in risk mitigation strategies. The understanding gained supports integration of physical and social sciences into decision making for anticipatory action.

Background:
Drylands in the middle and high latitudes have harsh environments with characteristically cold and arid

climates. The livelihoods of the people inhabiting these areas are threatened by constant climate-related natural hazards. Dzud is the Mongolian term for a natural disaster resulting from harsh winter conditions that reduce availability or accessibility of pastures, leading to an extensive loss of livestock/wildlife from either starvation or cold during the winter-spring. These events occur in grasslands and tundra in significant portions of the mid to high latitudes, covering approximately 45% of Earth’s terrestrial area. In Central Asia, these events have significant humanitarian impacts because they affect local livestock populations, especially in Mongolia where approximately 30% of the workforce is dependent on herding for a substantial part of their livelihoods. In North America, these events are called winter kill, and they can result in massive die-offs of wildlife.

The current dzud early warning system in Mongolia has been in place since 2015 and is developed by the Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (Mongolia) in collaboration with Nagoya University in Japan. However, fully characterizing summer and winter conditions associated with dzud risk has been a challenge, and false positives associated with prediction of dzud events are high.

This capstone study seeks to employ state-of-the-art remote sensing datasets collected from Earth orbit to develop risk and severity assessments for dzud events and associated socioeconomic impacts to inhabitants of dzud-prone regions. Initial emphasis will be on the dryland steppe of Mongolia where records of dzud events are available. Extension to other parts of the terrestrial high latitudes will include analysis of die-off events in North America.

Suggested Approaches:

1. (i)  Investigate the relationship between dzud event occurrence, non-frozen season soil moisture (SM)conditions, vegetation water stress, and winter/autumn/spring freeze/thaw (FT) state conditions using remote sensing datasets, ground-based station data, and dzud occurrence data. NASA’s Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) mission provides SM and land surface FT state datasets beginning in 2015. NASA’s ECOSTRESS mission provides vegetation water stress and precision thermal data characterizing surface temperature for approximately the last three years. Explore the role of FT timing and past summer SM for different vegetation zones in Mongolia.
2. (ii)  Produce remote sensing-informed dzud risk maps based on prior summer soil moisture, current freeze/thaw state conditions, and ancillary datasets through an analysis conducted in a GIS framework supporting multi-criteria decision analysis.
3. (iii)  Extend results to the regions of the global middle and high latitudes.
4. (iv)  Conduct risk and socioeconomic impact assessments.

Students should be comfortable working with computer analysis tools and a GIS analysis framework.

This project will be carried out in collaboration with scientists from the Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems group in the Division of Science at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.

2. Creating Living Biomaterials from Photosynthetic Microorganisms

Led by Professor Lane Gilchrist (Chemical Engineering)

Objective

After researching living biomaterials, propose a sustainable biomaterial design that can solve a bioremediation problem.

Background

New biomaterials with an extraordinary combination of properties can be fashioned from living cells, including the ability to self-heal and adapt to changing environmental conditions. The metabolic functions of the living cells contained within the biomaterial structures can be used for heavy metal and toxic compound bioremediation with the cellular polymers forming load bearing structures that can be grown in place. In suitable designs they can self-assemble autonomously and grow into prepatterned structures, forming novel sustainable and economical biomaterials that harness cellular functions and structural elements.

Suggested Approach

(i) Initiation of the project by undertaking an extensive literature review of photosynthetic organisms and sustainable biomaterials.

(ii) Find a viable application for the engineered living material and compare with other abiotic systems currently applied.

(iii) Select different base microorganisms from different photosynthetic species based on biomaterial forming potential. Determine their growth characteristics and potential viability within renewable polymer matrices. Design an starting living biomaterial combination of organism and matrix and assess the performance characteristics in the desired application. Perform a comparative sustainability analysis of the living biomaterial, using life cycle assessment.

(iv) Time permitting, work with a bioengineering lab to collaborate on the implementation of the design.

3. Climate Justice, Climate Gentrification, and Climate Solidarity

Led by Professor Zihao Zhang (Landscape Architecture)

Objective

This proposed research examines the intersection of climate justice and urban design/planning in cities like New York. The research will provide insights and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners working to achieve climate justice and social equity in densely populated, diverse cities.

Background

This is a continuation of a 2023-24 capstone project. Through literature review, attending public forums and community advisory group meetings, and talking with experts, the current team has unpacked the notion of climate justice through the lenses of decoloniality, community engagement, and environmental/climate gentrification. This year, the new team will continue the research to deepen our understanding of the complexity of climate justice issues. This project will contribute to the College-wide Research Vision –  Climate Solidarity.

Approaches/Methods

•     Literature review

•     Participate in community advisory group meetings and public forums

•     Interview with experts

•     Geospatial analysis and GIS Online story mapping

4. Using social justice principles to retrofit a subdivision for sustainability in Mexico

Led by Prof. James Biles (International Studies/Colin Powell School)

Objectives
(1) Identify challenges to urban sustainability in an international context; (2) Understand urban sustainability from a social justice perspective; (3) Evaluate potential interventions to promote sustainability in low and moderate-income housing subdivisions (fraccionamientos) in southern Mexico; (4) Design, in collaboration with residents, city government agencies, and a local community- based organization, several projects to transform the built environment of a subdivision of “social interest housing” in a large city in Mexico based on the principles of social justice and urban sustainability.

Background
Since the early 1990s, Mexico has made a concerted effort to combat housing deprivation and improve access to essential urban infrastructure. The country’s urban development policy agenda during this time has emphasized the construction of large subdivisions (fraccionamientos) of small, “social interest” tract houses on tiny lots, frequently on the outskirts of large cities. This strategy has contributed to a significant decrease in the population living in “marginalized” areas, both in relative and absolute terms. However, the fraccionamiento approach suffers from several serious shortcomings with respect to urban sustainability, including sprawl, excessive automobile dependence, limited green space and access to basic services, and lack of diversity, inclusivity and social cohesion. During the past year, a small team of students and faculty affiliated with the MS Program in Urban Sustainability has collaborated with residents of Jardines del Norte, a fairly typical “social interest housing” subdivision in Mérida, Mexico, and INDAGAR, a local community development organization, to identify potential interventions to improve quality of life in the fraccionamiento. The result of this collaboration is a forthcoming report which identifies a proposal to retrofit the main avenue of the subdivision based on the principles of “socially just” urban sustainability.

As part of this capstone project, I would like to work with a team of Urban Sustainability students, Jardines del Norte residents, INDAGAR, and government agencies in Mérida to implement the proposed retrofit strategy. Specifically, the Urban Sustainability capstone team will collaborate with local stakeholders on the design of a green pedestrian mall and four pocket parks. This project does not require Spanish language skills; however, capstone students should have an interest in working on an applied research project in the Global South. Potential participants will have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with urban design software applications (for example CityCAD, GardenCAD and Streetscape Pro) and apply both their theoretical and practical knowledge and skills.

Suggested Approaches
(1) Review and assess background information on social, economic and environmental conditions of the study location. Evaluate characteristics of the built environment of the subdivision;
(2) Review proposed retrofitting strategy for Jardines del Norte subdivision;
(3) In collaboration with local stakeholders, make any final revisions to proposed retrofit strategy;
(4) Identify and evaluate examples of similar retrofit initiatives in Mexico and other contexts;
(5) Based on proposed retrofit strategy, create initial design for green pedestrian mall and pocket parks; (6) Incorporate knowledge and feedback of subdivision residents and other stakeholders to modify retrofit design features;
(7) Present final design of retrofit features to local stakeholders.

5. An analysis of the economic and environmental impact of the U.S. EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization programs in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. 

Led by Professor Angelo Lampousis (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)

Objective

Perform research evaluating the costs for environmental assessments, site characterization, and ultimate clean up and remediation of New York’s and New Jersey’s most contaminated sites.  Make recommendations for prioritizing the selection of candidate sites for environmental clean-up and redevelopment based on the estimated benefits in the annual household income of communities surrounding these sites.  

Background

A brownfield is a property where expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.  

EPA’s Brownfields Program supports land revitalization by providing grants and technical assistance to help communities clean up and sustainably reuse brownfield sites. The program distributes funds appropriated annually by Congress through competitive grants, non-competitive funding and technical assistance.

EPA’s Land Revitalization Program goes beyond site assessment and cleanup to support local community efforts to identify practical reuse options, remove barriers to site reuse, integrate sustainable and equitable approaches and attract resources. Land revitalization includes several different types of site reuse planning activities that can help communities understand local market conditions, financial feasibility and site design reuse scenarios.

This project will begin by analyzing the history of EPA funding in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and its economic and environmental impact effect on the surrounding communities. Finally, the study will focus on specific sites, and for each will propose site design reuse scenarios. 

Suggested Approaches

Understand the science of Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, site characterization, environmental clean-up and remediation. Create visualizations of the economic and environmental impact of the U.S. EPA’s Brownfields program in New York and New Jersey over time using GIS.

Identify practical reuse options, remove barriers to site reuse, integrate sustainable and equitable approaches and attract resources.

Pre-requisites/Ideal Team

The ideal team would be interdisciplinary including environmental engineering, architecture, economics, planning, and policy. 

Recommended Reading

• ASTM E1527-21 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process
• ASTM E1903-19 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase II Environmental Site Assessment Process
• The Brown Agenda by Richard Fuller and Damon DiMarco. 

6. Climate Justice Hub Partner Organization Support Project

Led by Katherine Gloede Silverman and an NYC EJA Organization (TBD)

Objective

A team of graduate students will produce research-driven deliverables set forth by an NYC Environmental Justice Alliance Organization through the NYC Climate Justice Hub to support organizational needs and goals. Examples could include (but are not limited to): an NYC Open Data mapping project, a toolkit of relevant financial resources, a framework for a necessary Citizen Science endeavor, a curriculum guide for working with local schools. 

Background

Launched in September 2023, the NYC Climate Justice Hub is a partnership between the City University of New York (CUNY)—the nation’s largest public urban university—and the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA)—a coalition of grassroots organizations who have led the fight for climate justice in NYC since 1991. By uniting CUNY and NYC-EJA, the Hub strengthens and fortifies just transition efforts led by frontline communities of color across NYC.

The Hub’s mission is to support NYC-EJA’s efforts to advance climate justice for New York City’s underserved, working-class Black and Brown communities. The Hub accomplishes this through the creation and the activation of new and existing trans-disciplinary systems and cross-sectoral networks that ensure CUNY robustly supports NYC-EJA—and the coalition of organizations and campaigns it brings together—in their efforts to accelerate “just transitions” in NYC. Through the creation of research teams, educational platforms, and a leadership development “vine,” the Hub prepares a generation of CUNY students to enter the workforce as climate leaders, operationalizes climate justice infrastructure at CUNY, and advances NYC-EJA’s transformative research agenda.

The NYC Climate Justice Hub is the largest of several “hubs” that have been created around the nation through a series of generous grants from the Waverley Street Foundation. This initiative supports minority-serving universities to work with place-based environmental justice organizations to advance the interests and aspirations of frontline communities most impacted by climate change. The current grant under which the NYC Climate Justice Hub is operating is for a 2-year pilot (2023-2025), with opportunities for future funding. See more information here: https://centerforthehumanities.org/programming/nyc-climate-justice-hub. 

Suggested Approaches 

-Work with a partnering NYC Environmental Justice Alliance Organization and point person to establish project goals and deliverables that meet the needs of the Organization and the interests and strengths of the student team. 

-Learn about the Organization’s work and develop an interdisciplinary, engaged approach to producing deliverables.

-Meet with the Organization’s point person monthly to keep process of producing deliverables informed and iterative. 

Notes

Specific partner organization and deliverables will be determined over the summer.

7. Affordable Housing, Climate, and Environmental Justice

Led by Professor Yana Kucheva (Sociology)

Objective
The objective of this project is to couple microscale measures of climate and environmental
risks, building-level and neighborhood-level analyses of vulnerability, and quantitative and
qualitative research of current responses to climate risk to develop a new framework for
affordable housing resilience in the face of climate change and environmental harm. Climate
modeling and data visualizations will be built into policy scenarios that place housing justice at
the forefront of repairing past urban planning harms and identifying actionable climate and
environmental solutions.

Background
Housing is a critical element of any infrastructural investment strategy as safe and affordable
housing provides the needed security and stability for residents – particularly families with
children – to thrive. Affordable housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods with good schools,
good jobs, and healthy environments supports vibrant communities, connects workers to jobs,
and helps families climb the economic ladder. Due to the projected increase in the duration and
intensity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves and flooding, the U.S. affordable
housing infrastructure might soon face catastrophic losses to its availability and habitability.
According to current estimates, as much as a third of the housing stock in the U.S. is at risk from
disasters related to climate change. Nationally, more than 2.1 million federally assisted
affordable housing units are in what the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
considers high-risk areas, or areas that are expected to have high economic losses due to
environmental hazards. By 2050, the number of affordable housing units vulnerable to regular
flooding will triple. As the costs to adapt the current infrastructure to climate change are already
high, cities continue to focus both their affordable housing policy and disaster responses on
short-term solutions at the expense of socially equitable long-term planning that addresses the
dual slow-moving crises of unaffordability and climate change.

Suggested approaches
The project aims to answer the following research questions:
1) What is the exposure of federally assisted affordable housing to heat, flooding, and air pollution?
How does this risk vary by program type? How does it compare to the respective climate and
pollution risks in low-income communities in general? What is the contribution of the federally
assisted affordable housing program to the concentration of low-income renters and renters of
color in communities with the greatest exposure to heat, flooding, and pollution?
2) How are local housing authorities, housing policy makers, and communities living in federally
assisted units preparing for climate change? What are their data needs in terms of preparing
actionable plans for climate change and rectifying past environmental injustices?
3) In what ways does federal housing policy aimed at low-income renters need to change to redress
the inequitable exposure of low-income communities and communities of color to environmental
injustices and to protect the affordable housing stock from the effects of climate change

To answer these research questions, we will first develop a database that combines housing data,
climate data, pollution data, and land use data from a variety of national-level public sources. We will
then establish a web-based platform with interactive visualizations and develop a Hazard Risk Score
(HRS) for every federally assisted building in the U.S. We will test and validate the national Hazard
Risk Scores (HSR) with local New York City data. As we integrate our data on heat and flooding
with administrative data on housing and data on environmental exposures to unhealthy environments,
we will examine organizational practices of local housing authorities and other public stakeholders as
models for adaptive responses to climate change with respect to affordable housing.

Notes
Parts of this project require some prior knowledge of statistical and GIS applications (e.g., R,
Stata, ArcGIS).

8. West Harlem Energy Proposal (Phase 2)

Led by Michael Bobker (CUNY Building Performance Lab)

Working with manufacturers and vendors will be crucial in developing feasible product selection. Also, a long-term life-cycle cost analysis will be instrumental in determining the feasibility of application at scale and identifying any methods to help speed widespread adoption of circular microgrids.  

Objective

This project will explore the retrofit technologies and processes for a low-carbon and grid-interactive Harlem neighborhood.  The project will initiate work of the newly founded Harlem Retrofit Lab and Design Partnership, developing the basis for a community-governed virtual microgrid, West Harlem Energy.  

The goal of the project will be to have well-articulated retrofit packages for typical apartment buildings and rowhouses, as the basis for presentations to property owners to support their decision-making and planning.  The project will also introduce students to cutting-edge concepts and applications of great value in professional practice and community energy planning.  

Background

West Harlem Energy Proposal – the overall, long-term project

A team coordinated by CCNY with community partners will design, implement, and demonstrate connected energy community and microgrid services for a dense urban community – promoting energy reliability, resiliency, efficiency, carbon reduction, with community engagement and benefits. The project will create a replicable template for community energy services in urban neighborhoods. In addition to technical feasibility and benefits, the project will model organizational relationships incorporating major institutions, community organizations, utility companies, and city government. The benefits of a project of this scope can be measured in terms of resource and energy/cost savings but also in non-energy benefits such as productivity enhancements, health improvements, environmental advancements, energy literacy, and broader benefits to the economy through the development of environmentally focused jobs.

Capstone Project Focus

Beginning with an understanding of NYC’s Climate Mobilization Act (Local Law 97) as a driver of deep-energy retrofits, students will explore the application of technology options such as Passive House envelopes, heat recovery, EV charging, energy storage, and heat pump electrification.  Retrofits will incorporate sensors and controls for coordinated interaction with the electric grid, applying the concepts of GEB (Grid-interactive Energy-efficient Buildings) and DERMS (Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems) that are currently under development and piloting at US DOE National Labs. 

Suggested Approaches 

• Conduct technology-specific research, connect with specialized designers and vendors 
• Create schematic conceptual designs for retrofits in typical conditions
• Explore project finance methods and meet with institutional “green financiers”
• Apply Urban Energy Modeling techniques for assessing scenario impacts
• Leverage and build upon existing knowledge in building systems, energy, and/or architecture. 

Notes: This is a continuation of a current capstone project ending their first semester.

9. Characterizing Terrestrial Surface Hydrodynamics with Synthetic Aperture Radar: NISAR Mission Science Wetlands Inundation and Land Surface Freeze/Thaw State

Led by Prof. Kyle McDonald, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Objective:

This project will support Earth science associated with the NASA’s NISAR mission – an Earth- orbiting satellite carrying imaging radar instruments and planned for launch in 2024. NISAR radar datasets will support science community needs for characterizing terrestrial ecosystems, including wetlands environments, vegetation biomass and disturbance, and agriculture. This capstone project will develop, implement, and test workflows that will be employed to assess NISAR data to ensure NISAR performance addresses NASA’s mandated science objectives for the NISAR mission. Emphasis will be on monitoring inundated wetlands in inland and coastal environments, and monitoring seasonal and ephemeral land surface freeze/thaw (FT) state and associated processes in cold land regions. Suitability of NISAR algorithms for application to urban greenspace may be considered. Societal impacts associated with utility of NISAR data may also be assessed.

Background:

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission will provide large-scale imaging radar data sets of Earth surface dynamics that are critical to characterization of Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. NISAR will be the first NASA SAR mission to enable systematic active microwave observations suitable for monitoring land surface structure and dynamics globally. A primary objective of NISAR science includes enhancing knowledge of ecosystem structure and dynamics to determine environmental change and ecological impacts. Key components of mission objectives embrace the thrust areas of this capstone effort: (1) determination of the extent of wetlands and the dynamics of inundated areas, (2) the characterization of land surface freeze/thaw state, and (3) application of NISAR data to societal relevance such as assessment of urban greenspace. This capstone project will be conducted in collaboration with members of the NISAR science team and will emphasize development and implementing of workflows for classifying and validating NISAR-based remote sensing datasets. Workflows will utilize python programming in Jupyter notebooks. Workflows will be applied across a network of NISAR calibration-validation test sites, will ingest NISAR radar images and site-specific in situ and ancillary validation datasets, and perform quality assessments comparing the NISAR data with validation data. This may include assessment of the suitability of NISAR ecosystems algorithms for application to urban landscapes. Prototyping SAR datasets from other satellites and aircraft will be used in lieu of NISAR data prior to NISAR launch.

Remote sensing analyses will be carried out using tools such as Jupyter Notebooks, ESA’s SNAP toolbox, Google Earth Engine, and QGIS. Students should be comfortable working with or motivated to learn computer analysis tools and a GIS analysis framework to support analysis of remote sensing data.

This project will be carried out in collaboration with scientists from the Earth Science Section in the Division of Science at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.

10. Optimal Structural Design for Low-Carbon Concrete Structures

Led by Professor Damon Bolhassani (Architecture)

Objective

Investigate innovative approaches in the design of structures with a focus on minimizing material usage, carbon emissions, and cost. The primary objectives include:

1. Achieving environmentally friendly structures while maintaining structural integrity and performance using advanced computational tools and optimization algorithms.
2. Evaluating the performance and feasibility of proposed designs through analytical modeling, simulation, and practical experimentation.

Background

The construction industry significantly contributes to global warming with concrete production being a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (Jyosyula et al, 2020; Labaran et al., 2021). Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop sustainable alternatives that minimize environmental impacts. Efficient structural design plays a crucial role in the sustainability of concrete structures by optimizing material usage, reducing construction waste, and minimizing environmental impact. Traditional design approaches often prioritize safety margins and over-engineering, leading to excessive material consumption and higher carbon emissions. By adopting a holistic approach to structural design, which considers factors such as load paths, material properties, and construction techniques, it is possible to achieve significant reductions in material usage without compromising structural performance. Moreover, efficient structural design has economic benefits, as it can lead to cost savings through reduced material purchases, construction labor, and maintenance expenses. By optimizing designs for material efficiency, architects and engineers can deliver projects that meet performance requirements while staying within budgetary constraints.

Suggested approaches

Incorporating lightweight design principles, such as minimal surfaces for optimized member sizes and efficient structural systems, minimizes materials required for construction, maximizes energy efficiency, and reduces environmental impact throughout the entire life cycle of a building which offers lower CO2 emissions and contributes to enhanced sustainability. Advanced computational tools, such as finite element analysis and parametric modeling, offer opportunities to explore a wide range of design options and identify optimal solutions that balance structural efficiency with environmental sustainability. These tools enable engineers to simulate complex structural behavior, analyze performance under different loading conditions, and adjust their designs to achieve the desired outcomes.

Besides, 3D concrete printing has emerged as a transformative technology (Khan et al. 2021; Wangler et al. 2017) that enhances construction efficiency by optimizing material usage and minimizing waste. Precise layer-by-layer concrete deposition notably reduces the need for formwork and minimizes material waste, consequently contributing to a significant decrease in carbon emissions linked to concrete production. While these innovative techniques show potential in reducing carbon emissions and enhancing sustainability, it is crucial to acknowledge that, at the current stage, ensuring the safety of 3D-printed structures requires thorough structural design and analysis. Additionally, the anisotropy resulting from the layered nature of 3D printing introduces complexities that require careful evaluation (Wolfs et al. 2019). As the construction industry seeks to utilize the benefits of these advancements, this project aims to keep the balance between innovation and ensuring safety to fully realize the potential of 3D concrete printing in sustainable construction practices.

Notes

– Students with interest in architectural and structural design, environmental architecture, or sustainable architecture and structural optimization are well-qualified for this project.

11. Assessing Water Security in Ukraine:
Monitoring Changes in Fresh Water Resources and Associated Societal Impacts with Remote Sensing Datasets

Led by Prof. Kyle McDonald, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Objective:
The objective of this project is to develop remote sensing-based assessments of fresh water resources in Ukraine from time periods extending from pre-conflict to the present, quantify changes in those resources resulting from the on-going war in Ukraine, and assess societal impacts associated with effects of the war on Ukraine’s water resources. Project efforts will focus on the Dnieper River basin and regions of conflict therein.

Background:
The current war in Ukraine drives an urgent need for actionable information to address response and recovery issues associated with damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure and environment. This includes assessments of damage to infrastructure associated with Ukraine’s fresh water resources. The Dnieper River basin provides Ukraine’s primary source of fresh water for human consumption and agricultural irrigation. Much of this water is stored (impounded) in reservoirs, ponds, and lakes., many of which are artificial, having been constructed in the 1960s. Individual water bodies range in size from a few to several hundred hectares. Remote sensing imagery from Earth-orbiting Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is well-suited to monitoring surface water and changes in surface water associated with such water bodies over broad regions. This project will employ remote sensing data from multiple sources to assess areal changes in lakes, ponds and reservoirs associated with the war in Ukraine, and relate this change to associated threats to Ukraine’s water security. Regional-specific analyses will consider changes in occupied territories and assessment of water use through census records.

Suggested Approaches:

1. Develop annual and seasonal maps of water reservoirs, lakes, and ponds using multiple sources of radar and optical remote sensing image data including SAR remote sensing imagery from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sentinel-1 satellite, the Japanese space agency (JAXA) ALOS PALSAR and ALOS-2 PALSAR 2 satellites, and USGS Landsat and ESA Sentinel-2 satellites.
2. Using these remote sensing products, assess distribution and change in distribution of reservoirs, lakes, and ponds across multiple years extending from pre-conflict time periods to the present.
3. Assess societal impacts related to, e.g., water resources for consumptive use and irrigation, associated with the war in Ukraine.
4. Assess improvements to remote sensing products provided by the NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) satellite (https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov/) as datasets come available \ after its operation begins (presently expected before the end of 2024), and from NASA’s Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite (https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov/), launched in December 2022.

Remote sensing analyses will be carried out using tools available on-line, such as ESA’s SNAP toolbox, Google Earth Engine, and QGIS. Students should be comfortable working with or motivated to learn computer analysis tools and a GIS analysis framework to support analysis of remote sensing data.

This project will be carried out in collaboration with scientists from the NATO Climate Change and Security Center of Excellence (CCASCOE), Montreal, Canada, and the Earth Science Section in the Division of Science at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.

12. Assessing Climate Resilience of NYC’s Living Shorelines: Long-Term Data and Remote Sensing Analysis

Led by NOAA CREST Scientists Shakila Merchant and Tarendra Lakhankar

Objective:

The objective of this project is to evaluate the long-term impact of climate change on the resilience of New York City’s living shorelines, utilizing historical weather data and remote sensing imagery to analyze shoreline evolution and identify critical areas for conservation and intervention. This research aims to provide actionable insights for enhancing urban coastal resilience and sustainable ecosystem management in response to climatic changes.

Background:

The New York City (NYC) coastline has undergone significant transformations due to urban development, erosion, and rising sea levels, resulting in the loss of over half its tidelands since colonial times. This alarming trend underscores the urgency of adopting resilient strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of these changes. Living shorelines, which include naturally occurring features such as salt marshes, have emerged as sustainable alternatives to traditional gray infrastructure like seawalls, floodwalls, and riprap. Unlike these conventional defenses, living shorelines offer enhanced environmental benefits by providing vital wildlife habitats, sequestering blue carbon, and improving community well-being, especially in BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of color) and low-income neighborhoods highly susceptible to flood risks.

This study focuses on the long-term evaluation of these living shorelines, analyzing their role in coastal ecosystems and their effectiveness in urban climate resilience. By leveraging historical Landsat images, this research assesses the evolution of the shoreline and the impact of extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Ida, pinpointing erosional hotspots that need immediate intervention. Further, it examines changes in geomorphological features, soil composition, and flora dynamics of NYC’s protected and restored salt marshes, utilizing both pre- and post-event remote sensing data.

Despite extensive restoration efforts, many of NYC’s marshes struggle to thrive, hindered by urban encroachment that impedes natural marsh migration, nutrient overloads from combined sewer outfalls (CSO), and blocked sediment transport due to infrastructure like bulkheads and levees. The research aims to identify critical factors promoting shoreline stability and ecological functionality through comprehensive field surveys, geospatial mapping, and thorough data analysis. Ultimately, this study seeks to provide actionable insights for sustainable urban planning and infrastructure development, aiming to bolster environmental preservation efforts and improve the resilience and health of coastal communities against future climatic challenges.

Suggested Approaches: 

• Remote Sensing and Historical Data Analysis: Utilize long-term weather station data and Landsat images to assess historical changes and impacts of extreme weather events on NYC’s shorelines. This approach includes pre- and post-event analysis of events like Hurricane Ida to identify erosion trends and hotspot areas requiring intervention.
• Field Surveys and Geospatial Mapping: Conduct targeted field surveys in selected high-priority areas to collect data on geomorphological features, and flora dynamics. Employ geospatial mapping techniques to overlay historical data and current observations, thereby identifying factors that contribute to shoreline stability and ecological functionality.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Analysis: Engage with local communities, especially those in high-risk flood zones, to gather insights on the socio-economic impacts of living shorelines. Analyze existing coastal management policies and propose integrated strategies for incorporating natural and nature-based solutions to enhance climate resilience in urban planning.