SEI Research Forum Book of Abstracts

The SEI Research Forum Book of Abstracts compiles 60 research summaries from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) staff. The research spans four primary themes: Managing Environmental Systems, Reducing Climate Risk, Transforming Governance, and Rethinking Development. Key areas of investigation include the 'planetary boundaries' framework, the socio-economic drivers of clean cooking and sanitation in India and Africa, the effectiveness of climate adaptation policies in the UK and Sweden, and the geopolitical dynamics of climate negotiations involving BASIC countries. The document highlights a mix of completed research, ongoing projects, and future research ideas aimed at bridging science and policy for sustainable development.

• Research on productive sanitation in Aguié, Niger, demonstrated that using human urine as a liquid fertilizer can increase cereal yields by approximately 20% compared to urea at similar nitrogen doses, and 40-50% compared to base organic fertilizer.
• A study of agricultural water interventions in Andhra Pradesh, India, found that while such measures increased crop yields and groundwater levels, they reduced watershed outflows by 20-50%, potentially leaving drinking water reservoirs unable to meet demands for 220 days per year during dry years.
• Global livestock production consumes significant freshwater resources; approximately 5,500 km³ per year is used for feed production, with 3,800 km³ per year of evapotranspiration from pasture contributing to animal-based goods.
• In Thailand, biofuel production accounts for 58.2% of total energy consumption, but rapid expansion may lead to ecosystem degradation and encroachment on valuable ecosystems if not managed through holistic assessment.
• Analysis of technological innovation for low-carbon societies indicates that while European feed-in tariffs for solar PV have been effective, the US uses a combination of tax incentives and renewable portfolio standards; however, carbon capture and storage (CCS) progress is hindered by insufficient funding and political commitment.
• An empirical analysis of the Adaptation Fund suggests that funding decisions do not follow a clear pattern regarding equity or efficiency, instead applying a 'principle of equality' that may not benefit either objective.
• Research into the Swedish forestry sector identifies barriers to climate adaptation integration, including a reliance on experience-based knowledge that conflicts with scenario-based climate data and a lack of strong leadership.
• The 'planetary boundaries' framework is being used to assess national contributions to global environmental processes, such as Sweden's performance against its 16 environmental quality objectives.
• In India, the 'National Biomass Cookstove Initiative' aims to replace inefficient stoves with 'next generation' biomass stoves, but research suggests that product-specific factors are as important as socio-economic factors in determining consumer choice.
• Global phosphorus reserves, primarily located in Morocco/West Sahara, are estimated to last 172 years based on UN population growth, but this could drop to 48 years if bio-energy crops are prioritized globally.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2012). SEI Research Forum Book of Abstracts. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-research-forum-2012-book-of-abstracts.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. SEI Research Forum Book of Abstracts. 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-research-forum-2012-book-of-abstracts.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=SEI Research Forum Book of Abstracts |date=January 2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-research-forum-2012-book-of-abstracts.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2012sei, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{SEI Research Forum Book of Abstracts}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-research-forum-2012-book-of-abstracts.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }