Scaling nature-based solutions for climate resilient infrastructure

Role: Former PhD student
Project: Comparative scenario and optimization path of land spatial allocation: A case study of peri-urban agricultural space
Affiliation: Department of Land Resource Management, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6026-652X
Email: chensha@zufe.edu.cn or  shachen9797@gmail.com

Sha Chen currently works as an assistant professor in the Department of Land Resource Management, School of Public Affairs in Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, China. Her research and teaching interests relate to monitoring and modelling of land use changes and socioeconomic system dynamics for preserving ecological services and the resilience of future land use. In particular, she uses geostatistics, mapping, scenario approaches, and land use modelling techniques to determine the socio-ecological drivers in shaping land use and characteristics of ecosystem services.

Her primary research area remains in agricultural environments, particularly the peri-urban region around major cities in southeast China, such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Ningbo. Her research in peri-urban areas focusing on rural livelihood dynamics and agricultural space restructuring is funded by The National Natural Science Foundation and the Chinese Ministry of Education. During her PhD, she received the CSC scholarship and went to the University of York to explore the factors that influence past land use change and used scenario analysis to look ahead (envision the future).

She continues to regularly work with scholars in the UK on land use modelling and scenario studies in Kenya and Tanzania. This is developing a more comprehensive understanding of how human activity affects land use and natural resources – combining national, international, and local studies, which will help us create more sustainable management strategies.