A team of Ukrainian scientists and scientific specialists from DroneUA received a grant from National Geographic to conduct research on the impact of urban green spaces on the climate in Ukrainian cities.
DroneUA will take part in data collection and scientific analytics together with the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, the Center for Aerospace Research, the Institute of Botany and the Institute of Biochemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine..
Modern cities – it is a living organismthat is constantly growing and developing. From year to year, with an increase in the population, there is a need to change the infrastructure while maintaining a balance of the influence of green urban areas on the ecology of cities.
The Smart City concept involves the use of innovative technologies to quickly make optimal decisions based on a large amount of data, both in the short and long term.
The population of Ukrainian cities is virtually unaware of the negative consequences of climate change in residential areas. In Ukraine, there is a problem of lack of systematic data on CO2 fluxes in large cities and suburbs, which can be useful in estimating emissions.
“There is no database for decision-making by local authorities regarding the choice of the type of plantings for a particular area, which in turn would mitigate the effects of climate change in cities.” — says project co-author Taras Kazantsev.
Project goal – to solve this problemto determine exactly how plant size and density affect the reduction of “heat waves” in various localities and cities.
Grant from National Geographic
The global community of National Geographic supports young scientistswho are working to assess the changes that are happening to our planet. Research focuses on changes in ecosystems that are threatened by human impacts and climate change.
National Geographic supported a Ukrainian project to develop a scientific basis for strategic planning for the adaptation of urban green spaces to climate change in cities of Ukraine, as well as other countries in Eastern Europe
Research plan
Project participants will study the systemic influence of urban green spaces on the formation of microclimate (temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration) in residential areas of Kyiv using modern methods:
- High-resolution thermal mapping from unmanned aerial vehicles (drones)
- Processing and classification of optical and thermal image data obtained from satellites
- Assessment of photosynthetic activity of park trees in Kyiv using portable CO2 gas analyzers
- Long-term measurement of daily dynamics of temperature and air humidity in residential areas using autonomous sensors
Results:
The expected result of the research is the creation of an analytical model that allows us to formulate an assessment of the impact of green spaces on urban infrastructure.
The data obtained from the experiments will help determine which types of trees are most effective for cities.
City utilities will receive advice on planting and planning (types, densities, types of landscaping, etc.)
National and city authorities will have the opportunity to improve legislation on this issue.
Application of the results obtained throughout the country and abroad
The application of the results of research conducted in Kyiv will not be limited only to the capital. According to the specifics of the plantings — Kyiv is quite similar to all cities of Ukraine.
«We are going to develop an elementary methodology for making decisions on landscaping and conducting similar studies that absolutely everyone can use– both municipal utilities of the city and proactive residents of Ukrainian cities,” — says Alexandra Halaim, project manager.
The results obtained can also be applied in the future to other cities in Eastern Europe.
Climate Forum East experience
It all started back in 2016. The scientists received funding from the international environmental research fund Climate Forum East. Then it was possible to do a number of ground studies, collect information using drones and satellite maps. But since this was the first such experience of scientific work in Ukraine – the results were obtained only for a small area, the central park areas. Current project with National Geographic – this is a logical continuation of research that began 2 years ago, and the scope of the new project covers the entire territory of Kyiv.
DroneUA scientific expertise
Research work will be carried out over three months. At the DroneUA technical base, scientists will receive heat maps using drones, and will also be provided with all the capabilities for processing them in the future.
«We are happy to take part in complex research projects. We have extensive experience using drones for data acquisition, mapping, and research activities in data processing. We are happy to join such scientific projects,”— said the co-founder of DroneUA, Valery Yakovenko.
Scientists and organizations involved in the project
Alexandra Halaim is the leader of this project, candidate of biological sciences, director of the public organization “Zelena Khvilya” senior lecturer at the Department of Ecology of the National University "Kiev-Mohyla Academy". Project page on Facebook:
