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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Action research on how to engage intergenerational audiences in grappling with the complexities of effective design, particularly for care home gardens and other settings and particularly, how this could be supported by a Gamifying approach, such as that being taken by Swansea University.
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
It would help my work if more people could understand how Nature Based Solutions can simultaneously address multiple issues, e.g. well-designed gardens and parks can
help with:
● Reducing emissions by cutting vegetation less often, binding carbon into live biomass in the plants, soil etc.
● Mitigating impacts of climate change by utilising the cooling effect of shady plants and trees (instead of air con) to protect buildings and their occupants / residents.
● Supporting biodiversity and human wellbeing by managing our environments for wildlife benefit.
I am currently working with Local Places for Nature funding to create gardens for care homes and other similar settings serving the needs of deprived communities such as elderly and disabled people. But this is capital only funding, with limited revenue for community engagement aspects of the work. I’m eager to engage care home residents, staff, managers and families/friends/ visitors/ in co-designing these spaces along with neighbouring community groups and potential volunteers, including pupils and staff of nearby schools.
We’re working with UNISON and Wales Union Learning Fund to develop and deliver staff training on aspects of this agenda, including coping with extreme weather events. But I’d like to take this work to the next level, and include an Action Research dimension, to capture something from the process and make it available to benefit others working in this field.
Ultimately my goal would be to see this approach integrated into the wider Nature Recovery Action Plan process, whereby publicly owned land such as care home gardens would be protected for nature (as required by COP15 : what’s been agreed, and what it means for Wales) and managed accordingly; and public bodies and trade unions would support their staff and members to engage fully in this process for the wellbeing of future generations – although this is admittedly an ambitious goal, given current circumstances, but one I see as vitally necessary to a sustainable and Just Transition.
Keywords (discipline, other): Action Research, gamification, social care, horticulture, nature based solutions, Just Transition, Nature Recovery Action Plan
Website/URL links: https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/cop15-what-s-been-agreed-and-what-it-means-for-wales/
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Ceredigion council
Contact Details
Name: Rachel Auckland Email Address: rachel.auckland@ceredigion.gov.uk Phone: NA
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Are current species diversity measures sufficient for the measurment of ecosystem resilience?
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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Are the current atmospheric nitrogen Critical Loads for the different forms of semi-natural grassland correct?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Atmospheric nitrogen Critical Load levels are set for most different forms of grassland, but negative effects have been recorded at below these Critical Load levels. Some forms of grassland lack a formal Critical Load.
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
Ecosystem resilience
Air quality
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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Are the current per person consumption of water calculations effectively reflecting household water use?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Current calculation of per capita consumption may not accurately reflect personal water use.
Keywords (discipline, other): Water efficiency
Freshwater
Urban
Energy
Ecosystem resilience
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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Are the levels of PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) within legal limits where people, especially vulnerable groups like young children, are most likely to be exposed?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Urban life is not sustainable if polluted air makes people sick. Whilst general levels of PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are acceptable, we know they actually vary over distances of less than 1m, so more detailed monitoring is required.
Keywords (discipline, other): Urban
Air quality
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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Are there ‘hotspots’ for access to the coast and is pressure of people impacting the habitat and species?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This evidence would help to evaluate extent of this pressure and identify areas for management.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
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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At what locations could saltmarsh habitat be managed to protect and enhance coastal flood defences and wider coastal protection?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Evidence needed to progress Aims 3 and 4.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Urban
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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Can exisiting National Vegetation Classification and other surveys be brought together to map the extent of semi-natural grassland in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Recent detailed terrestrial survey data are somewhat disperate and some of it needs quality control
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Coastal margins
Enclosed farmland
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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Can marine habitat creation (e.g. managed realignment, seagrass restoration) deliver effective mitigation for loss of marine and estuarine fish?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Work is required to investigate the effectiveness of creating or restoring coastal or intertidal habitats to deliver mitigation (and/or compensation) for loss of marine/estuarine and freshwater diadromous fish in relation to marine renewable energy developments, e.g. tidal range projects.
Next steps and progress: Collaborative research work underway and awaiting the outcome of a PhD proposal
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, marine habitat creation, managed realignment, seagrass restoration, mitigation, loss of marine and estuarine fish, coastal or intertidal habitats, marine/estuarine and freshwater diadromous fish, marine renewable energy developments
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Dr Kirsten Ramsay Email Address: kirsten.ramsay@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk Phone: NA
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Can remote sensing be refined to accurately map all the different forms of semi-natural grassland?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Stocks of natural resources is a basic measure of sustainable management of natural resources. Remote sensing has thus far been mostly poor as recording grassland extent, but is continually being refined and becoming more accurate.
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Coastal margins
Enclosed farmland
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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