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Nature Connection would give all children and young people agency to manage their own mental wellbeing so that limited medical support could focus on those who require specialist help.
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
English Government research shows 87% of children have stated that being in nature makes them ‘very happy’. Connecting with nature improves mental and physical health and educational, emotional and personal development. In a recent Natural England report, the forecast Social Return on Investment (SROI) for schools that have embedded learning outside the classroom in natural environments as a whole school approach is £4.32 for every £1 invested. In addition, research shows that a close relationship with nature is four times more important than your purchasing power for generating feelings that your life is worthwhile.
This is important because children’s access to nature is inconsistent. We know that Wales is further along than England but there is still a need for ALL children to benefit.
Keywords (discipline, other): Education, mental health, youth work, PGCE, nature connection
Website/URL links:
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Nature Premium
Contact Details
Name: Sara Collins Email Address: saracollins@naturepremium.org Phone: NA
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Net zero and sustainability
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Managing flooding and coastal erosion supports government targets for UK emissions to reach net zero by 2050, mitigate any environmental loss, and enhance natural capital.
Our research activities will support us to:
7.1 – embed environmental and biodiversity improvements in flood and coastal risk management
7.2 – support how flood and coastal erosion risk management assets are designed and managed in a way that achieves net zero targets
7.3 – limit emissions through the whole life cycle of flood and coastal risk assets from design to decommission
Further information is available on the joint programme webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-research-and-development-programme/about
If you would like to contact the programme to share information on how your work relates, or if you want to hear from the programme team when a new research activity is starting, use the areas of research interest form: https://forms.office.com/e/PALmAmETZ2
If you want to request support from the programme for a research partnership follow instructions on how to apply for research support: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-research-support-and-partnerships
Keywords (discipline, other): flood, management, asset, asset management, coastal erosion, structure, engineering, design, operation, walls, buildings, earth embankments, shingle banks
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/flooding-reports-evidence-and-data/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-research/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: NRW
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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Optometry questions
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Due to an increase in temperatures people will spend more time indoors. What is the likely impact of that on myopia etc?
Worsen global poverty so how reduce cost or complexity of eyecare? From remote clinics to cheaper lens technology.
This is a really useful report with lots of ideas
Climate Change and its Impact on Eye Care
https://visionscienceacademy.org/climate-change-and-its-impact-on-eye-care/
Keywords (discipline, other): Optometry, temperature, myopia, poverty, eyecare, remote clinics
Website/URL links: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=A673B09CD3ADE8F9!70595&migratedtospo=true&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL28vcyFBdm5vcmRPY3NIT21oS2REa0RONzJYd2RpWWljSWc_ZT1LcEpUYUQ&wd=target%28Optometry.one%7Cc0c23a92-4ada-40c1-b549-4bf32d2ae70e%2FProject%20Ideas%7Cdc1ac558-d2fa-40bc-ae6a-a9fab3ddbc49%2F%29&wdorigin=NavigationUrl
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: No Organisation:
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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Over what timescales do coastal habitats take to recover after storm events?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Evaluate extent of pressure and identify areas for intervention.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Marine
Freshwater
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
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Psychology and behavior change topics
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Visit the 1 in 5 website to see topics in social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, decision making, mental health, human factors, perception and more.
https://www.1in5project.info/project-ideas
Keywords (discipline, other): social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, decision making, mental health, human factors
Website/URL links: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=A673B09CD3ADE8F9!70595&migratedtospo=true&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL28vcyFBdm5vcmRPY3NIT21oS2REa0RONzJYd2RpWWljSWc_ZT1LcEpUYUQ&wd=target%28Psychology.one%7C0f801ffb-c9dc-49b4-8f6b-94ea415b7ac3%2FProject%20ideas%7Cc10f2185-a13e-42a6-ac7d-db50969ccfaf%2F%29&wdorigin=NavigationUrl
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: No Organisation:
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: contact@1in5project.info Phone: NA
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Religion and Climate Change
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
According to the Pew Research Centre, some 84% of the world’s population has a religious affiliation. Whilst this figure is from 2010 and might be contested, there is no doubt that religion is globally a highly significant influence on how people understand the world and live their lives. There is a growing body of work investigating religious approaches to thinking and acting in relation to the environment and this offers a rich seam to mine for dissertation topics. The short bibliography below offers some starting points for this kind of literature-based study.
Within departments of Religious Studies and Theology that are able to support projects using qualitative research (e.g. in sociology of religion or practical theology), there would be scope for looking at particular local faith communities and their response to climate change. For example, one project might be to look at the impact of the Arocha Eco Church award project on one or two local churches. Another might be to study how environmental concerns are reflected in sermons within one or two local religious communities that have preaching as part of their religious practice.
Bibliography
Some general resources:
John A. Grim, e.d., Indigenous Traditions and Ecology : The Interbeing of Cosmology and Community (Harvard University Press, 2001)
John Hart, ed., The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Religion and Ecology (Chichester: John Wiley, 2017)
Larry L. Rasmussen, Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key (Oxford: OUP, 2015)
These sources relate more specifically to Christian theology:
Celia Deane-Drummond, The Ethics of Nature (Blackwell, 2004)
Willis Jenkins, Ecologies of Grace: Environmental Ethics and Christian Theology (OUP, 2008)
Hilary Marlow, Biblical Prophets and Contemporary Environmental Ethics (OUP, 2009)
Sallie McFague, The Body of God: An Ecological Theology (SCM, 1993)
Sallie McFague, Models of God: Theology for an ecological Nuclear Age (SCM / Fortress, 1987)
Michael Northcott, The Environment and Christian Ethics (CUP, 1996)
Keywords (discipline, other): Religion, Theology, Climate Change, Christian, ethics, eco-church, community, communities, Christian, tradition, faith, ecology
Website/URL links: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=A673B09CD3ADE8F9!70595&migratedtospo=true&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL28vcyFBdm5vcmRPY3NIT21oS2REa0RONzJYd2RpWWljSWc_ZT1LcEpUYUQ&wd=target%28Theology.one%7C6a0608a7-6fc3-4d81-a38d-f0dbdaf71f3d%2FProject%20ideas%7C9fceeadc-e4b0-43a6-96ef-a37541ed4f45%2F%29&wdorigin=NavigationUrl
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Cardiff Baptist College; Cardiff University:
Contact Details
Name: Stephen Roberts Email Address: RobertsS51@cardiff.ac.uk Phone: NA
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Research to inform and promote holistic education for Sustainable Development (SDG 4.7): A targeted piece of research to clearly show evidence of the links between peace, human rights, gender equality and sustainable development, supported by case studies.
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Work around climate change within the education sector tends to focus on environmental issues in isolation – issues such as plastic pollution and recycling. Whilst this is important, it would be beneficial to promote a more holistic approach, including climate justice and also making links between local and global issues such as peace, human rights and equality. This would support the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”
Having some clear research and case studies could be the basis for writing some more comprehensive resources and developing a pilot project in Wales that would support children and young people in developing the above skills and taking on local and global projects that would make a difference.
Keywords (discipline, other): International Relations, politics, education, climate change, SDGs
Website/URL links:
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: WCIA
Contact Details
Name: Jane Harries Email Address: janeharries@wcia.org.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
Research to inform and promote holistic education for Sustainable Development (SDG 4.7): A targeted piece of research to clearly show evidence of the links between peace, human rights, gender equality and sustainable development, supported by case studies.
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Work around climate change within the education sector tends to focus on environmental issues in isolation – issues such as plastic pollution and recycling. Whilst this is important, it would be beneficial to promote a more holistic approach, including climate justice and also making links between local and global issues such as peace, human rights and equality. This would support the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”
Having some clear research and case studies could be the basis for writing some more comprehensive resources and developing a pilot project in Wales that would support children and young people in developing the above skills and taking on local and global projects that would make a difference.
Keywords (discipline, other): Education, International Relations, climate change, peace, human rights
Website/URL links:
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: WCIA
Contact Details
Name: Jane Harries Email Address: janeharries@wcia.org.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
Research to show links between militarism in Wales (and beyond) and climate change.
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Published statistics on climate emissions don’t take into account the impact of activities by the military. For 2019, the carbon footprint of the UK military was estimated at 11 million tonnes of CO2 for 2018 (Conflict and Environment Observatory). This was before the war in Ukraine. Calculations of military emissions in Wales should include the impact of implementing low-fly zones, the testing of drones in West Wales, energy used by military bases and the production of components of arms which take place in Wales. This research would be a first step to being open and honest about the contribution of the military to climate emissions. It should lead to public debate about how much the armed forces cost, both today and for future generations.
Keywords (discipline, other): International Relations, Politics, carbon emissions, peace
Website/URL links: https://ceobs.org/the-militarys-contribution-to-climate-change/
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Cymdeithas y Cymod / Fellowship of Reconciliation in Wales
Contact Details
Name: Awel Heddwch Email Address: awel.heddwch@gmail.com Phone: NA
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Researching people new to nature connection and how/if it changes behaviour and perspective on how to protect our natural environment.
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
When we see what we value being destroyed and not sustainably developed it might galvanise action, e.g., voting for a political candidate with green credentials, consuming less, influencing others.
Keywords (discipline, other): Psychology, politics, nature connection
Website/URL links: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-childrens-people-and-nature-survey-for-england-2022-update/the-childrens-people-and-nature-survey-for-england-2022-update
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Nature Connection and Forest Bathing
Contact Details
Name: Lucy McQuillan Email Address: Phone: NA
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