Developing Your Dissertation Ideas
If you are seeking to deliver an impactful dissertation topic, with direct relevance to environmental policy makers or, simply looking for inspiration for your final year project, you can search for ideas below.
You can search the research questions that have been directly submitted to us, or browse other collections of research ideas from partner organisation such as Natural Resources Wales and Climate Cymru.
If you do find a question of relevance and decide to address it through your dissertation, we would really like to know about it. Please fill out the form that can be found here.
[Enter keyword and press ‘search’ or the return key]
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What methods can be used to monitor progress to reducing energy demand?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
We need an assessment of methods available to assess change in energy consumption/demand to include behaviour change across society
Keywords (discipline, other): Energy
Climate change
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What monitoring is needed to enable reporting on resilience across the whole landscape and support transformational management change?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Keywords (discipline, other): Ecosystem Resilience
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What new and emerging contaminants have potential to impact water quality and how can these be manged and regulated?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Inform condition and pressure from poor water quality.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Freshwater
Marine
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What opportunities exist for river restoration across Wales on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Restoration of freshwater ecosystems is key to improving their resilience to multiple pressures and addressing the climate and nature emergencies. Knowledge and tools are required to facilitate sucessful and cost effective ecosystem restoration.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Woodland
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What pests and diseases threaten the most abundant urban tree species, and what countermeasures are available?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Trees deliver multiple ecosystem services in a single place. It may take 60 years for a replacement tree to deliver sufficient ecosystem goods and services to pay for the cost of planting, so maintaining the good health of urban trees is crucial.
Keywords (discipline, other): Urban
Woodland
Invasive non-native species
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What reliable information sources and tools can we use to assess the contribution of freshwater ecosystems to a regenerative economy?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Robust and accessible data is required to enable a full assessment of SMNR Aim 4.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Waste
Water efficiency
Energy
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What reliable methods could be used to quantify the ecosystem trade-offs and synergies associated with woodlands as part of land use change to support the sustainable management of natural resources and respond to the climate and nature emergencies?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
The management of synergies and trade-offs is key to understanding future land use change options. Many assessments are currently subjective: being able to quantify trade-offs and synergies would aid decision making and future policy direction.
Keywords (discipline, other): Woodland
Land use and soil
Ecosystem resilience
Climate change
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What reliable tools can we use to identify opportunities and appropriate measures for the restoration of freshwater habitats?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Restoration of freshwater ecosystems is key to improving their resilience to multiple pressures and addressing the climate and nature emergencies. Knowledge and tools are required to facilitate sucessful and cost effective ecosystem restoration.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Mountains, moorlands, heath
Urban
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
Climate change
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What reliable tools can we use to measure the impact of physical modifications on rivers?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Physical modification is the main reason for rivers Welsh rivers failing to achieve Good Ecological Status. Modifications to floodplains have significant impacts on ecosystem health and flood risk. However limited information is available on the extent and specific impacts of these modifications. This information is required to inform ecosystem resilience and restoration opportunities.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Climate change
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What soil management practices can be used to improve the use of nutrients?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To help inform future sustainable land management pratices in future
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use and soil
Enclosed farmland
Waste
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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