Airspace conservation: Planning in 3D for sharing the urban skies by wildlife and humans

Project description

Human use of the skies is rapidly increasing, with new modes or urban air mobility based on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles such as drone deliveries and air taxies (also called drone taxis), in addition to intensifying high rise buildings and wind turbines. However, the airspace and aerial connectivity between green spaces and key habitats in cities are important yet remian understudied in biodiversity conservation. This project aims to develop new methods and approaches for addressing 3D planning of the urban airspace in relation to conservation.

The project will include these main stages: (1) a review of spatial data requirements for 3D planning of the airspace, including both anthropogenic and natural features, and their related regulations; (2) quantifying the vertical human footprint in the urban airspace in 3D, collating 3D spatial datasets in 20 large cities from four regions in the Asia-Pacific, exhibiting different urbanization patterns (e.g., Australia, India, China); (3) modelling aerial connectivity using Circuitscape, using the vertical human footprint as the resistance surface, and comparing different scenarios; (4) prioritising areas for conservation actions in 3D.

Drone taxis are currently being developed for Delhi and air taxis for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, so this is a timely period to study their conservation implications on the diverse wildlife that use the air, including birds, bats and other biodivesrity. We will collaborate with industry partners to advance and support future policy. The project supervised by a cross disciplinary team of researchers will lead to an innovative framework for conservation, policy and industry that adds the airspace and third dimension.

Outcomes

Cities are three-dimensional in nature and the urban landscape and skyscape are shared by both humans and wildlife. The urban airspace is important for biodiversity. Nearly 30% of all vertebrates use the airspace in some way for feeding, roosting, breeding, moving around and other uses. Birds, bats, and other flying animals, as well as humans using the airspace, are at risk in the increasingly crowded skies. This study will be one of the first globally to develop and test a 3D framework for incorporating both human uses and wildlife conservation into spatial prioritisation of urban airspace. The project will map the human footprint in 3D in major Asia-Pacific cities, identifying 3D corridors and urban aerial reserves that can help wildlife persist in the city. Benefits include mitigation of threats to species using the sky, reduction of human-wildlife conflicts and of risks to humans (e.g., bird collision with air taxis). This partnership between Australia and India will lead to pioneering an innovative world-leading contributions to 3D urban conservation that explicitly incorporates the vertical airspace. Collaborating with industry, NGOs, government, the project is expected to bridge an important gap in the area and lead to innavtive research and applications.

Essential capabilities

GIS, modeling, managing large spatial datasets

Desireable capabilities

Conervation science experience, remote sensing, GIS, modelling, coding, bird identification, ecology

Expected qualifications (Course/Degrees etc.)

Honours or Masters in Conservation Science/Geography/Environmental Sciences/Ecology/dual degree of conservation science and engineering/similar