Staff profile

Biography & Research Interests

Clair Cooper is a PhD student with the EU Horizon 2020 Naturvation programme, an interdisplinary partnership, led by the Department of Geography involving 14 institutions from across Europe.

One of the aims of Nature-based Solutions is to key societal challenges across the urban realm. Using quantatitive methods, Clair's research aims to evaluate how Nature-based solutions are distributed across European cities and examine how they relate to factors that shape urban quality of life. To address these aims, Clair's research will examine what are the impacts of Nature-based Solutions and how these relate to forms of governance, innovation and community engagement, etc, being used. How the impacts of these solutions relate to social and health inequalities will also be examined.

Clair’s research builds on her experience in the UK water industry, in particular, her role at Northumbrian Water, where she was responsible for the delivery of a programme to retrofit citizens home with water conservation devices and educate them about the benefits of sustainable water use behavior in partnership with community-based organisations. It’s here where Clair developed an interest in the relationship between green infrastructure, social and health inequality, and how reconnection with nature can bring about sustainability transitions.

Clair also holds a degree in physical geography and environmental science, an MSc in Catchment Dynamics and Management and a CIWEM Certificate and Diploma in Environmental and Water Management.

 

• 2000:

  Prior to beginning her PhD, Clair was responsible for delivering projects that were awarded: 

  • Water Industry Achievement Award and Sustainable Water Industry Group award winner for best retrofit project Every Drop Counts in 2016 and 2017.
  • Winner of gardening category of the Water Efficiency Awards for Save a Bucket Campaign at Saltersgill Allotment in 2014.
  : Prior to beginning her PhD, Clair was responsible for delivering projects that were awarded: 
  • Water Industry Achievement Award and Sustainable Water Industry Group award winner for best retrofit project Every Drop Counts in 2016 and 2017.
  • Winner of gardening category of the Water Efficiency Awards for Save a Bucket Campaign at Saltersgill Allotment in 2014.

Working Paper

• Cooper, C., Bracken, P. L., & Cunningham, D. N. Exploring the relationships between social, economic and health factors and NBS in European cities (Deliverable 2.3)