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. We are still adding relevant keywords to the data, so try a different search term if nothing comes up or get in touch for support searching the database.
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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We would like to establish the likely demand for communities to access land in and around the Pontypridd area. To explore what issues communities currently have with accessing land for the purposes of sustainable development; and how might these issues be overcome.
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Why it is important & how it might unlock some kind of action: We know that people already access land for a variety of purposes in our local area and when it comes to land that is held for the purposes of recreation or other public benefit then issues of access are less of an issue. But we are also aware that when communities would like to access land in order to tackle social or environmental issues then access can be more of an issue. We would like to explore how these access issues (perceived or real) can get in the way of communities taking action in the local area, and how Ty Pontypridd might play a role in addressing these issues. Are there specific communities struggling to identify or access specific sites, or are there areas of land that are considered to be important local assets that might be at risk of being lost?
Keywords (discipline, other): Geography. Land use, land access
Website/URL links:
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: No Organisation: Ty Pontypridd
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: littleeiffel@hotmail.com Phone: NA
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What action is being taken in Wales to address invasive non-native species issues on the ground and how effective and cost effective is this action?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This information would ensure that a more accurate picture of the current work being undertaken to tackle invasive non-native species in Wales was established. It will be necessary to try to standardise the collection of information (for example volunteer time) in order to better estimate the cost/value of the project. There may be issues in relation to the inconsistent way that the historic actions data has been collected which may inhibit what conclusions can be drawn from it.
Understanding how much effort and resources are being spent to tackle invasive non-native species in Wales and why the action is being taken will help to assess how well we are implementing sustainable management of natural resources.
Keywords (discipline, other): 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 are the array scale effects of wave and tidal stream devices on physical processes over the medium to long-term?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Array scale effects of wave and tidal stream devices on physical processes,”Wave energy, Tidal energy, Physical processes, Array scale effects”,
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: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
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What are the barriers in Wales preventing more woodland, particularly native woodland, being brought into planned management to improve resilience and the flow of ecosystem services, including well-being benefits, from them?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Woodlands not in planned mangement are likely to be generating sub-optimal resilience, ecosystem services and well-being benefits. This evidence will help to inform future policy and delivery approaches.
Keywords (discipline, other): Woodland
Land use and soil
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 are the barriers preventing achieving favourable or good condition on statutory sites?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Condition is a basic measure of stocks of natural resources and resilience. Only a minority of grassland SSSI features have received recent detailed monitoring.
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
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 are the barriers to improving the existing invasive non-native species records data and how can we overcome these?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This evidence will help to gain a more accurate indication of the affect that invasive non-native species of Interest (priority) to Wales are having on ecosystems and ecosystem services
Keywords (discipline, other): 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 are the barriers to increasing energy efficiency in Wales? How can these be addressed?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Current progress on the energy efficiency does not reflect this. Policies, programmes and plans need to prioritised for greater focus on energy efficiency. Most of data is very much focused on building and housing and more so for social housing and/or certain georaphical area.
Keywords (discipline, other): Energy, Efficiency, Climate change, Policy
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: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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What are the barriers to peatland restoration for landowners? How can these be addressed?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Welsh Government policy is to restore appropriate management on all Welsh peatlands. This may require hydrological rewetting, nutrient reduction and biomass harvesting grazing or mowing or other interventions which may be challenging, especially where peatlands are divided between multiple landholdings or land managers are unfamiliar with the techniques.
Keywords (discipline, other): Mountains, moorland, and heath
Land use and soil
Enclosed farmland
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: External Partner: Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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What are the barriers to reducing energy consumption in Wales? How can these be addressed. What and where are the opportunities or interventions that could help reduce energy consumption/demand in Wales.
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
The evidence for this is limited and patchy.
We would like to know the options to address barriers or reduce the barriers. Effectiveness of interventions used to reduce energy demand and consumption. Behavioural insights into promoting energy reduction and energy efficiency in behaviours.
Keywords (discipline, other): Energy, Waste, Efficiency, Climate change, interventions, demand, psychology
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: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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What are the barriers to the uptake of regulatory measured put in place to provide minimum standards of environmental conditions?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
An exploration of the benefits of raising the regulatory floor could be an important part of any post-EU exit review of these regulations. Most sectors also have long-standing voluntary guidance and standards for good practice. These could contribute to building resilience.
Keywords (discipline, other): Regulation, Resilience, Brexit, Standards
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: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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