Bialystok University of Technology was named among the winners for its participation in the project: “Blue-green Coastal Infrastructures for Carbon Storage and Flood Protection (Coast-blue-green-protect)”, which aims to investigate the role of wetlands as blue-green coastal infrastructure in carbon (CO₂) sequestration and in protecting coastlines against the growing risk of extreme weather events.
Key roles in the project are held by:
- Prof. Walter Leal (Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany) – project leader,
- Prof. Piotr Banaszuk (Bialystok University of Technology, Poland),
- Prof. Akiko Ikeguchi (Yokohama National University, Japan).
The research at Bialystok University of Technology is carried out by a team of staff members from the Institute of Forest Sciences at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of Bialystok University of Technology, led by Prof. Piotr Banaszuk, and from the Faculty of Engineering Management, coordinated by Prof. Joanna Ejdys.
– Bialystok University of Technology is leading key work packages concerning the analysis of environmental conditions and ecosystem status monitoring – explains Prof. Piotr Banaszuk. – The team from the Institute of Forest Sciences contributes expertise in wetland ecology, monitoring and habitat restoration. Its tasks will include analysing nature-based solutions for selected coastal areas that may enhance ecosystem resilience and reduce risks arising from climate change and anthropogenic pressures.
The research team from the Faculty of Engineering Management will analyse the socio-economic aspects of the functioning of coastal wetlands, including the needs of local communities and wetland users: local government authorities, non-governmental organisations, fisheries and industry. The outcome of the research will be recommendations combining economic development with social acceptance of the planned pro-environmental solutions.
The projects were selected following a rigorous scientific evaluation conducted by the EIG CONCERT-Japan Scientific Committee, concluded during its meeting in Madrid on 29 October 2025. The implementation of the selected initiatives is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, with financial support granted for a period of three years.
The aim of the EIG CONCERT-Japan competition is to foster scientific cooperation between teams from Japan and Europe around topics of global importance. The twelfth programme focused on research into marine “blue carbon” ecosystems, which can contribute to the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere and help develop solutions supporting climate change adaptation.
The distinction awarded to the team from Bialystok University of Technology among the competition finalists confirms the high quality of research conducted at our University and its growing position in international scientific consortia addressing the impacts of climate change.
The total project value amounts to €563,788.
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