AIRS is actively involved with graduate students in the Faculty of Environment, and participates in graduate research in three main ways:
- provision of data (eg. climate data, climate change scenarios) and guidance in assessment methodologies;
- research mentoring and thesis supervision; and
- financial support and valuable work experience in the research field.
Here are examples of graduate theses from students who benefited from the UW-AIRS partnership:
- Assessing Stakeholder Impacts and Adaptations to Low Water Levels in the Trent River Watershed
- Spatial-Temporal Analysis and Simulation Modelling of Lake Huron Coastal Wetlands: A Case Study
- Implementation of a GIS to Assess the Effects of Climate Change on the Wetland Complex at Long Point, Ontario
- Ecosystem Impacts of Climate Change on the Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) Region and Implications for Its Ecosystem Conservation Plan
- Social Marketing of Residential Energy Efficiency in Waterloo Region
- A GIS Approach to Modelling Potential Climate Change Impacts on the Lake Huron Shoreline
- Climate Change and Terrestrial Biome Distribution in Canada's Protected Areas Network: Assessment and Implications for Policy and Planning
If you are an upper year undergraduate or graduate student and looking for a thesis topic, maybe AIRS can help. Here are a list of climate change research ideas. If you are interested in any of these topics please contact one of our researchers.
Impacts of Climate and Weather Hazards
- Examine the cumulative social and economic impacts of chronic hazards (eg. poor air quality)
- Examine the ability of current building and engineering standards/codes to sustain projected climatic changes (including extreme events)
- Explore the vulnerability of Eastern Canada coastal communities to projected changes in tropical storms
- Conduct hazard/impact/vulnerability assessment of a Canadian community
Weather Warnings
- Examine the value of severe weather warnings to the general public or a particular industry
- Urban Environments
- Investigate the potential for roof-top/vertical gardens in Waterloo Region to help improve air quality and reduce the effect of summer heat in the city
- Develop a methodology to assess the value and effectiveness of the smog alert/air quality advisory system
- Assess the effectiveness of Toronto 's Hot Weather Emergency Plan
- Examine the effectiveness of Ontario 's Drive Clean Program
Hydrology, Water Resources and Wetlands
- Examine differences in institutional adaptive responses to water shortages (eg. drought) in Canadian communities
- Examine the changes in public perception regarding xeriscaping in Waterloo Region
- Investigate the impacts of climate variability and change on wetlands in a particular part in Canada
- Estimate the economic costs of Great Lakes water-level declines on Ontario's summer cottage/recreation industry or international cargo shipping
- Explore the impacts of climate change on the quality of drinking water
Climate Change and Communication
- Explore the state of climate change awareness, perceptions and knowledge of climate change in different resource sectors or regions in Canada
- Identify key lessons learned and the components of successful outreach and communication in past environmental/human health communication campaigns (eg. smoking cessation, seat belt use) and apply climate change communication
- Examine how the media has framed the issue of climate change in various regions in Canada; and before and after significant meetings (eg. Kyoto, Buenos Aires, Bonn COP-5)
Ecosystem Health, Parks, Recreation and Tourism
- Examine the impact (eg. season length, quality of experience, economics) of climate change on summer and winter recreational activities in Canada
- Develop climate change adaptation strategies for a particular Canadian provincial or national park or other conservation area in Canada
- Inventory the carbon sequestration rates of forests in Canadian provincial or national parks
- Examine the impact of a changing climate on the tourism industry in a specific geographic area
- Develop a methodology to assess the impact of climate change on western Canadian mountain-based ski resorts
- Develop a vulnerability index to climate change for Canada's system of provincial or national parks
- Assess the impact of climate change impacts on invasive plant species for protected areas in Canada
Energy Use
- Investigate the potential for green energy development and demand in Waterloo Region
- Investigate the impacts of climate change on hydro production and/or consumption
Climate Data Research
- Examine the methods for estimating missing values in daily climate records
- Develop methodologies to examine the persistence of extreme events (warm/cold spells, droughts, severe storms)
- Develop a methodology to attribute observed climate trends to large-scale oscillations (eg. El Nino)
