M. Sc. Wenkai Bao
PhD Student
Research and Teaching Unit Physical Geography and Earth System Interactions
Office address:
Luisenstr 37
Room C 218
80333 Munich
My research focuses on quantifying the impacts of socio-economic constraints on the deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Before joining LMU, I studied human geography at Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR, CAS), where I began my academic exploration in the fields of policy-driven land system changes, and assessing poverty alleviation efforts in China.
STEPSEC: Comparative evaluation of the potential of terrestrial carbon dioxide removal
Deploying terrestrial carbon dioxide removal requires a comparative assessment of measures, taking into account socio-ecological constraints. These constraints include particularly unintended impacts on the Earth system such as land/resource competition with food production and water use, impacts on biodiversity, and changes in climate due to changes of the energy and water balance, and societal barriers to implementation; yet no comprehensive feasibility assessment currently exists to integrate these factors across major terrestrial carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods. The STEPSEC project addresses this gap by estimating the CDR potentials of these methods using simulations with multiple Dynamic Global Vegetation Models, incorporating new process details like the influences of weather extremes, and contrasting expected CDR potentials with unintended impacts to identify synergies or trade-offs with the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By integrating scientific assessments with socio-economic feasibility aspects, extending existing frameworks for feasibility evaluations, and adding ethical criteria of desirability and acceptability, STEPSEC will contribute methodologically and quantitatively to a comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment of terrestrial CDR methods needed for informed decision-making in Germany.
My publication list can be found on Google Scholar.