Research in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management

We are committed to providing a stimulating learning environment for students by underpinning our teaching with personal research. Our research activity focuses on strategically important and timely environmental, resource, transport and societal issues. Reflecting its global prominence, the Department of Geography and Environmental Management hosts a number of research centres and groups. Department staff also collaborate with other research centres based in other departments and faculties. 

Our research regularly appears in high impact scientific journals, influences practice and policy and wins prestigious awards. 

View our latest publications

 

Research centres and groups

Air Quality Management Resource Centre

Widely recognised by air quality and carbon management practitioners, nationally and internationally, as a leading provider of information, advice, research and consultancy.

Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments

The Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments (SPE) aims to develop understanding of how to achieve places that are environmentally sustainable, socially just and economically competitive.

Centre for Transport and Society

Our aim is to improve and promote understanding of the inherent links between lifestyles and personal travel in the context of continuing social and technological change.

Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience

The Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience (CWCR) brings together established inter-disciplinary teams working on different national and international water security initiatives at UWE Bristol.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments

Promoting sustainable settlements through research, teaching, consultancy, knowledge exchange and publications. We work closely with external organisations including the WHO European Healthy Cities network.

Postgraduate research opportunities

Key to the development of a new generation of cutting-edge researchers is our PhD student and postgraduate researcher community. More than three dozen strong, they are pursuing research linked to the University’s and the Department’s strategic goals of generating new knowledge about climate adaptation and mitigation in the areas of transport and mobility, air quality and carbon management, water science, management and engineering and civil and environmental engineering.

Examples of PhD topics in recent completions include:

Air quality and carbon management

  • Source apportionment of air pollution by citizen behaviour and demographics (Professor Enda Hayes)
  • Developing a protocol for the establishment of emissions inventories and modelling of airborne microplastics/microfibres (Dr Ben Williams)
  • Systematic evaluation of air and carbon management strategies through the lens of the SDGs (Dr Jo Barnes)
  • Investigating the role of local leadership in shaping and delivering just transitions in cities (Dr Laura De Vito)

Sustainable water management

Sustainable transport

Environmental engineering and geosciences

Planning for sustainable cities

Faculty of Environment and Technology (FET) studentship opportunities

To view all currently advertised funded or partially funded studentships within the Department and wider Faculty please view our main studentship opportunities webpages.

Our PhD and postgraduate community

Hear from members of our PhD and postgraduate community.

Image of UWE Bristol PhD student, Karen Simpson, standing by a river.

Karen Simpson

PhD student, Karen Simpson, is studying how we can improve water efficiency in our homes.
Close up headshot of FET PhD student, Jeremiah Jeremiah, against a neutral background.

Jeremiah Jeremiah

PhD student, Jeremiah Jeremiah, is developing a sustainable soil stabilisation technique using AI.

Image of UWE Bristol PhD student, Louis Brown, kneeling on a street pavement collecting data of pollutant concentrations.

Louis Brown

PhD student, Louis Brown, is working to improve air quality around schools.
Image of FET postdoctoral research student, Thanti Octavianti, against a backdrop of a blue sky and hilly countryside.

Thanti Octavianti

Postdoctoral researcher, Thanti Octavianti, is working to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Postgraduate research

We welcome enquires from those interested in postgraduate research study with us. With state-of-the-art facilities and experienced academic staff, we are perfectly equipped to carry out some of the most unique and exciting research in our subject areas.

Postgraduate research study

Research with impact

View all impact stories

Learn more about the real-world impact of our research.

Flood

Flood resilient communities

UWE Bristol researchers co-work with communities and agencies to transform thinking on resilience to floods/extreme weather.
Air quality research

Improving air quality

UWE Bristol research findings on the management of air quality have informed policy and guidance of governments worldwide.
Overfishing

Closing the net on overfishing

Research at UWE Bristol has been instrumental in establishing marine reserves, including the world’s largest.
Connecting people to places

Connecting people to places

UWE Bristol’s expertise in understanding travellers was central to the design for planning millions of journeys across the UK.
Green infrastructure

Delivering high quality green infrastructure

Research conducted by UWE Bristol is being used to develop a framework for high quality green infrastructure.
Terraced housing in Bristol

Shaping sustainable suburbs

A research team at UWE Bristol have taken an in-depth look at the risks suburbs face, joining forces with residents to test ideas and create change.

Scholarships and bursaries

At UWE Bristol, we have a range of scholarships and bursaries that are available to postgraduate applicants and new students.

Find out more about the scholarships on offer

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