Dr Jiren Xu
- Lecturer in Remote Sensing & GIS (Social & Environmental Sustainability)
telephone:
01387702091
email:
Jiren.Xu@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns:
He/him/his
Biography
I joined the University of Glasgow as a Lecturer in Remote Sensing & GIS in April 2023. Before joining the University of Glasgow, I worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds and as a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow after graduating with my PhD in Physical Geography at the University of Leeds in 2019.
As an environmental scientist with an interdisciplinary background, I have developed expertise in applying GIS, remote sensing and process-based modelling in ecosystem services, nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable development studies. The results of my interdisciplinary research are reflected in more than 30 publications (incl. 1 paper in Nature Sustainability and 2 papers in Nature Climate Change). My research has been identified as two top 1% ESI Highly Cited Papers, featured in the media (e.g. The Times), and quoted in governmental policies (e.g. England Peatland Action Plan). I have developed PEATMAP, one of the most popular global peatland maps which have been cited more than 600 times, and widely used by scientists and policymakers (e.g., The 2022 UN Nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. Synthesis report by the secretariat)
Since 2019, I have worked on two EU Horizon 2020-funded projects (WaterLANDS; OPERANDUM), four UKRI-funded projects (RESPECT; Social and environmental impacts of Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnamese provinces bordering China and Laos following border closure; River basins as ‘living laboratories’ for achieving sustainable development goals across national and sub-national scales; Discipline Hopping interdisciplinary peatland project), one BA-funded project (Knowing Risk: Embedding Warning Systems and Environmental Monitoring in Community Environmental Histories and Citizen Science) and two internal projects (Sustainable development of Asia’s deltas; Nature-based solution for reducing flood risk and achieving net-zero in the River Nith Catchment). I have collaborated broadly with national and international stakeholders and cross-disciplinary researchers throughout my research and knowledge exchange activities.
Research interests
- GIS and remote sensing;
- Wetland (especially in peatland);
- Ecosystem services;
- Nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation and mitigation;
- Sustainable development studies.
Grants
Listed here are grants I have secured or contributed to securing since joining the School of Social & Environmental Sustainability in 2019.
Ongoing projects (chronologically by end date):
- Rapid Engagement with Stressed Peatland Environments and Communities in Transformation [RESPECT]. Funding from UKRI-BBSRC. 2024-2027. £4.5 millions. Role: Co-Investigator.
- Knowing Risk: Embedding Warning Systems and Environmental Monitoring in Community Environmental Histories and Citizen Science. Funding from The British Academy. 2024-2026. £160,204. Role: Co-Investigator.
Finalised projects (chronologically by end date):
- Assessing Peatlands as Nature-Based Solutions for Mitigating Cascading Hazards in Scotland. Funding from the National Centre for Resilience research fund. 2023-2024. Role: Principal Investigator
- Social and environmental impacts of COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnamese provinces bordering China and Laos following border closure. UKRI-GCRF/Newton Fund. 2020-2022. £331,409. Role: Researcher Co-Investigator. Further details at https://covidborderclosures.wordpress.com
- Peatland restoration as a nature-based solution for reducing flood risk and achieving net-zero in the River Nith Catchment. College of Social Sciences Research Support Fund, University of Glasgow. 2021. £4,831. Role: Principal Investigator
- Integrated approaches towards understanding the scientific and cultural value of wetlands and especially peatlands for climate mitigation. NERC Discipline Hopping Call/University of Glasgow cross-disciplinary College fund. 2022. £10,000
Other projects I previously worked on as a postdoctoral researcher include:
- OPERANDUM: OPEn-air laboRAtories for Nature baseD solUtions to Manage environmental risks. European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. 2018. €14.7M. Role: Research Associate. Further details at: https://www.operandum-project.eu/
- River basins as ‘living laboratories’ for achieving sustainable development goals across national and sub-national scales. UKRI Natural Environment Research Council. 2019. £399,237. Role: Research Associate. Further details at: https://luanhelivinglab.home.blog/
- WaterLANDS: Water-based solutions for carbon storage, people and wilderness. European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. 2021. €23M. Role: Research Fellow. Further details at: https://www.waterlands.eu/
Supervision
I eagerly welcome inquiries from prospective students interested in pursuing their PhD studies with me. Before reaching out, kindly explore available funding opportunities and/or scholarships, if needed, to support your academic journey. For more information, please visit this link here for further details.
Academic Visitors:
Song Yao, Zhejiang University, China, 2024-2025
Haoxuan Xia, Zhengjiang University, China, 2023-2024
Qinyu Wu, China University of Mining and Technology, 2023-2024
Current PhD students:
- Kang, Binyue
Shaping Sustainable Management Strategies for Coastal Wetlands Through Driving Forces, Trade-off Analysis, and Scenario Forecasting - ZHANG, ZHENGXIN
Co-evolution of ecosystem services and land-use change in the mountains of Eastern China. - Zhao, Jinyu
Net-Zero Cities: A Comparative Study of Strategies, Barriers, Opportunities and Challenges
Teaching
Postgraduate
Convenor:
Contributor:
- MSc Environmental Science Dissertation (DUMF5117P)
- MSc Environmental Risk Management Dissertation (DUMF5078)
- MSC Taxonomy and Population Monitoring (DUMF5156)
Undergraduate
Convenor:
Contributor:
Professional activities & recognition
Editorial boards
- 2022: Ecosystem Health and Sustainability
- 2023: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
- 2023: Frontiers in Environmental Science
- 2023: Sustainable Environment
Research datasets
Additional information
Professional Affiliations & Services
- Member of FAO Peatlands and Climate Change Mitigation Group, European Geosciences Union, American Geophysical Union, British Society for Geomorphology, British Ecological Society Peatlands Research Group, Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative
- Reviewer for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) grants
- Reviewer for international journals: Nature Communication, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture (Outstanding Reviewer), Climate Risk Management, Science of the Total Environment, Ecological Indicators, Land Use Policy, Sustainability Science, Ecological Engineering, Water, Sustainability, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Acta Ecologica Sinica
- Visiting scholar of International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) - Panta Rhei
Work featured in media:
- University of Glasgow News Sustainability experts call for coordinated action on climate adaptation
- The Times & The Sunday Times Precious peatlands are a vital source of water
- Phys.org Peatland contributions to UK water security
- EurekAlert! Peatland contributions to UK water security
- Terra Daily Peatland contributions to UK water security
- International Peatland Society Where can peatlands be found?
- American Geographical Society UBIQUE Map of the Week: PEATMAP
- University of Glasgow UofG SUSTAINABILITY EXPERTS JOIN GLOBAL CALL FOR COORDINATED ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
- EurekAlert! Climate change: We’re acting, but are we making a difference?
- Phys.org Climate change: We're acting, but are we making a difference?
- Newsweek 5 Alarming Studies That Show Why the COP26 Climate Summit Is Important
- Yahoo! Thousands of studies show inadequate human adaptation to climate change
- NewsWise World taking measures on climate change – but are they the right ones?
- Miragenews We're acting, but are we making difference?
- Miragenews Global network takes stock of human adaptation to climate change
- Miragenews Study shows effects of climate adaptation are difficult to determine
- Grist Report: Poor countries need 5 to 10 times more funding to adapt to climate risks they did not create
- QUO LAS MEDIDAS MUNDIALES CONTRA EL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO NO FUNCIONAN
- Agencia Sinc Las medidas de adaptación actuales no reducen los riesgos de la crisis climática
- LaSexta Las medidas de adaptación actuales no reducen los riesgos de la crisis climática
- El Espanol Los esfuerzos no son suficientes: las medidas actuales no reducen los riesgos de la crisis climática
- Salon Report: Poor countries need 5 to 10 times more funding to adapt to climate risks they did not create
- Miragenews Humans are adapting to climate change, but not quickly enough, according to new research
- Phys.org Humans are adapting to climate change, but not quickly enough, according to new research
- Tech Insider Могут ли люди приспособиться к изменению климата: что ждет человечество
- EnergyPost.eu IPCC Report on Adaptation: a rapidly closing policy window for climate change action
- Popular Science Why so many climate adaptation schemes fail
- News Break Why so many climate adaptation schemes fail
- Carbon Brief 深堀りQ&A:気候変動が世界に与える影響に関するIPCCの第6次評価報告書
- CTV news 'More and more urgent': Governments unprepared for effects of climate change, study finds
- Daily Kos Will states protect infrastructure, communities, and water quality from climate damage?
- Mongabay The ‘idea’: Uncovering the peatlands of the Congo Basin
- Mongabay Holding agriculture and logging at bay in the Congo peatlands