Research

Research in the Department of Geography reflects the specific interests of staff and their graduate students. The mix of interests is, of course, dynamic.

Current research falls into three broad thematic groups. Two encompass processes in either the physical or human environments (including planning), while the third involves staff whose interests in environmental management connect both physical and human systems.

Research in Geography, 2006-2008:

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Research in Physical Geography features:

• Physical climatology; aerosols, solar radiation, and climate; air pollution;
• The relationship between glacier behaviour and climate change and variability (Glaciers@Otago);
  
• Alpine and Antarctic geomorphology;
• Biogeography;
• The hydrology of alpine and polar regions.

Research in Human Geography comprises a range of topics involving rural and urban society.

Themes include:

• The participation of children and young people in, and their experiences of, rural community;
• Children and young peoples' participation in planning;
• The construction of gender;
• Cultural health & wellbeing;
• Social service and health care provision;
• Social aspects of transport;
• Sustainable rural communities;
• Urban settlements;
• Urban and peri-urban agriculture;
• Reconstruction and development in post-conflict countries and regions;
• Community-based development.

Research in Planning

Research in planning investigates the activity of planning with regard to the management of social, economic and natural resources. Research interests of planning staff include:

• management of urban form
• indigenous peoples’ resource management
• Treaty issues in planning
• cultural values in landscapes
• processes of landscape transformation
• clusters in urban and regional development
• environmental planning
• planning for the natural environment
• biodiversity conservation
• community planning
• children and planning
• environmental education
• heritage planning
• sustainable transport and energy systems

Research in Environmental Management:

Research interests of department staff include:

• The human impacts on soil;
• Local knowledge and environmental management;
• Vegetation and landscape systems in a variety of contexts;
• Environmental impact assessment;
• Planning for the environment.

Much of the Department's research is based within New Zealand, and especially in the South Island, but some is also located overseas, and some has a global canvas. Staff members are actively engaged in research in Indonesia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, South Africa, the South Pacific, Antarctica, Canada, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.

Emerging Research Themes

Staff from the Department are also active in several Emerging Research Themes within the University, including, Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity in New Zealand; Transport and Society Research Group; Active Earth Processes; Antarctic Science and Marine Environments of the Southern Oceans; Development Studies; New Zealand and the Spatial Information Processing.

Areas of Research Excellence in which the Department is involved include:

• Gender Relations in New Zealand and the Pacific;
• Glaciers and Climate Change;
• Community-based Development in Africa and South-east Asia.

We also have links with the following Research Centres:

• Children's Issues Centre;
• the Spatial Information Research Centre;
• Otago Energy Research Centre.

Also, two research centres are based within the Department of Geography:

• the Centre for Impact Assessment, Research and Training; and
• the interdisciplinary Poverty, Inequality, and Development Research Cluster.

Professional Associations

• New Zealand Geographical Society (Otago Branch)
• The New Zealand Planning Institute