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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How can protected landscapes improve health and wellbeing?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
• How can nature-based interventions reduce health inequalities?
• What are the wellbeing benefits of volunteering and conservation participation?
Keywords (discipline, other): protected landscapes, health, wellbeing, nature-based interventions, health inequalities, volunteering, conservation, participation
Website/URL links: https://landscapeswales.org.uk/
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Tirweddau Cymru Landscapes Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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How can the benefits of natural flood management measures be predicted and quantified?
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
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
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How can the benefits of sustainable drainage systems on freshwater ecosystems be predicted and quantified?
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, Ecosystem, SUDS, sustainable drainage climate emergency, model, prediction, Urban, restoration
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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How can Wales make a just transition to sustainable land use and agriculture?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
According to the latest IPCC report on Wales’s progress towards net zero, one of the areas where progress has been poor is in the agricultural sector. Sheep farming is one of the most destructive forms of agriculture in terms of GHG emissions and natural habitat destruction but 86% of agricultural land in Wales is used for livestock grazing.
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use, agriculture, politics, GHG emissions
Website/URL links:
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: No Organisation:
Contact Details
Name: Caspar Harris Email Address: petes.shop.ponty@gmail.com Phone: NA
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How can we achieve reliable source-apportionment for diffuse pollution?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Pollution from rural sources is the second biggest factor in preventing Welsh rivers from achieving Good Ecological Status. In order to address this issue, we need to develop an improved ability to identify source apportionment for diffuse pollution.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Marine
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Urban
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
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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How can we address the Molinia caerulea or Juncus squarrosus monocultures? Are there mechanical or chemical mechanisms of control to use in tandem with grazing management?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Purple moor grass Molinia caerulea and heath rush Juncus squarrosus can form persistent monocultures on peatland, undermining bog restoration measures. Methods for addressing this need to be reviewed, trialled and reported.
Keywords (discipline, other): Mountains, moorland, and heath
Land use and soil
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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How can we assess cumulative effects at the plan level?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
We would like to develop a method for understanding cumulative effects across sectors (to include both existing activities and consideration of potential future activities scenarios). This would inform NRW advice and support Welsh Government’s spatial approach to marine planning.
Next steps and progress: NRW are currently collaborating on a JNCC-led project “Cumulative Effects Assessments to support marine plan development”. This contract will be completed by Summer 2024 and be used to inform development of next steps.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, cumulative effects, plan level, spatial approach, marine planning
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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How can we best influence people’s behaviour to reduce impacts to the marine environment?,
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): Psychology, Marine, behavior, Public engagement, Conservation, impact reduction
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: Phone: NA
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How can we best restore Welsh islands to benefit seabirds?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Rat free islands are a great resource for seabirds due to the lack of predation by these invasive mammals. However, often after eradication populations of ground or burrow nesting birds do not increase due to lack of management, e.g. grazing. To increase resilience to climate change impacts, ensuring connectivity and adequate locations for these birds to breed is important. Different management techniques could be considered as an experiment to see what works best on different islands. Next steps and progress: Seek external funding (component of a candidate Wales Nature Recovery Plan project) and scope out a plan.
Keywords (discipline, other): Seabird restoration, Welsh islands, rat eradication, climate change, grazing, breeding, management techniques, Wales
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone:
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How can we calculate sustainable take for non-commercial species?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Currently little is known about sustainable catch/collection levels for several living marine resources that are not covered by Total Allowable Catch / quota. Work could take the form of a stock assessment and might include species such as seaweeds, razor shells and winkles. Acceptable take limits could be developed. Ecosystem impacts as a result of removal of these species should also be investigated, although other options could also be explored in project development.
Suggested level of research: MSc and above
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine Sciences, sustainability, fishing, no-commercial species, stock assessment, seaweeds, razor shells, winkles, limits, ecosystem impacts
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: Kirsten Ramsay Email Address: kirsten.ramsay@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk Phone: NA
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