Healthy Infrastructure Research Group

The World under Threat

Our environment is unhealthy. Rapidly growing population but running out of foods, water and other prestigious resources, disorganised urbanisation, city infrastructure going backward, pandemics and new diseases, climate change and extreme weather, and global uncertainty and security problems are only few of the challenges threatening our environment and humanity. Environmental health engineering takes a crucial role in helping to solve these problems.

Over 100 years ago, our department took a leading role in research and education of scientists and engineers to tackle water-borne pathogens. The idea of water treatment and the development of water and wastewater engineering discipline transformed the world; we are still benefiting from this today. Can we transform the world one more time to tackle the new and emerging diseases in the 21st Century? How to work with nature to optimise the value and function of urban infrastructure? How to build a resilient, sustainable and secure city?

Our research

We aim to research and develop solutions to tackle current and future environmental health challenges.
Currently, we have two streams of research which cross over to contribute to a healthier world.

1. Infrastructure, environment and infectious diseases
2. Urban ecological engineering
3. Sanitation and waste water engineering and management

Grant Reference: EP/G029881/1