Environment

Rationale:
This summer research project focuses on participatory numbers and how they contribute (or not) to disaster risk reduction (DRR). Participatory numbers are quantitative research information produced by those at risk of disaster in order to make their knowledge tangible to outside stakeholders. They allegedly allow for an insider’s perspective on hazards, vulnerabilities and capacities and can eventually participate to identifying actions towards DRR. The actual contribution of this approach is however to be further assessed through additional research. This is the object of this project through a case study of activities being conducted in the city of Baybay in the Philippines.

Objectives:
This summer research project aims at assessing the contribution of participatory numbers to knowledge sharing in DRR. The specific objectives of the summer research are:
1/ draw a typology of participatory numbers used during the DRR activities conducted in Baybay;
2/ analyse the participatory process associated with the use of participatory numbers in DRR;
3/ assess the contribution of participatory numbers to the sharing of knowledge between local people and outside stakeholders of DRR.

Methods:
The research will rely on qualitative research methods. Observations of the actual process of participation as part of the DRR activities conducted in Baybay, Philippines. It will require therefore travelling to the Philippines for six weeks. Initial review of the literature and preparatory work as well as data analysis are expected to be conducted in Auckland. Logistical support will be provided by the Baybay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

Case study and partners:
This summer research project focuses on the city of Baybay in the Philippines. Baybay is a small costal city with vast rural and mountainous hinterlands exposed to a range of natural and other hazards, including flooding, storm surges, earthquake, tsunami and landslides. The project involves the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and local village councils as well as researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Outputs:
- a short field note article for an academic journal;
- a poster for a conference at the interface between policy and science.

Skills required:
- Completion of year two of an undergraduate degree
- A minimum B+ average grade equivalent to a GPA of 6
- Completion of GEOG325 and GEOG315
- Aptitude to live in relatively rudimentary conditions
- Willingness to learn a foreign language
- Like rice!
 

Project information

A 2017 Summer Scholarship researcher (Meese 2018) compiled nation-wide data in Excel on the publicly recorded environmental interests and expertise of those standing for Councils and those elected. This unique data set exposes a major environmental knowledge gap between Councillors and professional staff. We seek applications from students who would like the challenge of developing an interactive tool that can be made available to Regional and District Councils and be accessed by members of the public. The research will involve (1) gaining familiarity with the richness of the data structure and (2) gaining skills in the development and trialling of an interactive outreach tool. The student will be located at the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Auckland office as part of the Landscape Policy and Governance interdisciplinary team. Alison provides regular supervision in a lively team environment. We expect a motivated and self-directed student to utilise opportunities to meet researchers from a range of backgrounds. They will be supported to seek the assistance they need to complete the project from across University of Auckland and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research networks. The student will participate in project meetings for the Participatory Processes project of the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge in the School of Environment.  

Māori are emerging as key players in resource development, both as resource developers in their own right and as kaitiaki with responsibility for making decisions in conjunction with local authorities about the management of resources such as land, water, minerals, oil and gas. With pressure to conform to legislative timeframes, navigating the policy and regulatory terrain can be a difficult undertaking for iwi resource managers. The development of iwi environmental management plans work to facilitate the decision making process and can provide strategic direction on the management and use of environmental resources while articulating aspirations for social and economic development; however, the extent to which these documents are able to provide guidance on a case-by-case basis is limited. This project seeks to examine how iwi are seeking to intervene in decision-making through a comparative analysis of iwi environmental plans. This involves: 1) collating and comparing operative iwi environmental plans on form and content; 2) identifying areas of concern for each iwi; and, 3) mapping decision making processes.

This project will develop and utilize petrologic and geochemical techniques to investigate the chemical variability of the mantle as recorded by mineralogical variations in the Dun Mountain ophiolite. Tasks may include multi-day field excursions in remote locations, field mapping, sampling, preparation of materials for petrologic and geochemical analysis, and material characterization.

The current tectono-stratigraphic model of the Waitemata Basin is essentially based on a paper by Balance (1976) and is not supported by the data set that I and 12 students have collected over the last 10 years. During the last 12 months we have developed an integrated GIS model and relational data base that will allow a re-evaluation of the basin. I am seeking a summer scholarship student to work with me on developing the GIS model further. This will involve digital mapping techniques, data input, and GIS based work.

The Summer Scholar will be involved in research aimed to understand the historical and current management of biosecurity risks to the Waitakere Ranges, including Kauri Dieback. The student will be involved in retrieving and organizing historical archival material and data analysis. The student will also engage in qualitative research through participant observation and conducting surveys. The ideal candidate will be be a student who is interested in exploring the intersections of indigenous and Western environmental philosophy, human geographies of public space, and local environmental politics.

Student debt has become a topic of much interest in recent years. Within government, education, business and civil society sectors, concerns are being raised about the escalating levels of debt associated with contemporary higher education. At the same time, many organisations within these sectors are developing new financial technologies that capitalise on student indebtedness. For example, several universities have entered into Income Sharing Agreements with their students, which see the university receive a proportion of their students’ income after graduation. Additionally, digital platforms are being developed that would see students work off their education debt by participating in short-term education ‘gig work’. This project aims to understand the ways in which new financial technologies are being developed around the servicing of education debt. This is a collaborative project involving Dr Tom Baker (Auckland), Dr Dan Cohen (Concordia University) and Dr Emily Rosenman (Penn State University). The Summer Research Scholarship holder will (i) collect/analyse relevant research literature, media articles, website material and reports related to education finance, and (ii) identify key actors, organisations and financial technologies. The project is international in scope. The Summer Research Scholarship holder will have an interest in (i) developing their knowledge of a contemporary public policy issue, and (ii) refining their qualitative research skills. The scholarship holder will produce a ‘policy brief’ and other materials that will be mutually negotiated with the supervisor.