Geography Commons^™

Potential Recyclable Materials In Buildings: A Framework For Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessment Of Residential Buildings In Singapore, Pradeep Alva, Riccardo Talami, Wanyu Pei, Goran Sibenik, Martin Mosteiro-Romero, Clayton Miller, Rudi Stouffs

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

As countries aim to reduce resource consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) has become a vital method for quantifying embodied and operational GHG emissions. However, few studies have conducted WLCA on an urban scale, often addressing operational or embodied GHG emissions in isolation without considering their cumulative impact. This study introduces a city-wide WLCA framework to assess the potential recyclable materials of urban building stock, using Singapore as a case study with 5915 public residential buildings. Upfront GHG emissions are calculated from material intensity and building information, while operational emissions are based on energy use …

Erosion And Accretion: Mobilities Of Sand, People, And Memory At Queer Riis Beach, Jah Elyse Sayers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The People’s Beach at Jacob Riis Park on the Rockaway Peninsula of Queens, New York, is a vibrant place of queer and trans public-space placemaking—and especially Black and working class queer and trans placemaking. A distinct queer ecology emerges in the interplay of the dynamic movement of the barrier island, queer and trans—especially queer and trans Afro-diasporic—mobilities. This queer ecology, while articulated with, also defies and exceeds logics and workings of private property. In response to a convergence of pressures on Black, queer, trans, and working-class placemaking on the beach site in the 2020s, beachgoers have mobilized longstanding provisional socialities …

Visualizing Ozone Pollution In The Denver Metro Area Using A Bioindicator Garden, Ella K. Mathews, Hillary Hamann, Julie Morris, Erica L. Larson

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Since the industrial revolution, widespread fossil fuel combustion has significantly increased atmospheric pollution. The combustion of fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which form tropospheric (ground-level) ozone when exposed to sunlight. Ozone directly harms plants by disrupting their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and carry out photosynthesis. Bioindicator species are plants that have visible responses to environmental conditions, such as ozone, and can act as “canaries in the coal mine,” indicating the health of their environment. In this study, we used a garden of ozone bioindicator species (ozone garden) as a cost-effective tool …

Perceptions Of Care: An Exploratory Case Study On Residents’ Perceptions Of Neighborhood And City Maintenance, Taylor Coats

Transforming Communities

Where one lives impacts both their physical and mental well-being. Though one’s builtenvironment is an important factor, the perception of one’s environment influences mental well-being. This qualitative study examines what influences residents’ perceptions of theirneighborhood and local governmental efforts to maintain and improve their community. Thisstudy utilized a case study methodology to interview residents, stakeholders, and politicians intwo neighborhoods in a mid-sized urban city in the Midwest (N = 16). This study identified threecore aspects that influence participants' perceptions of their neighborhoods and city efforts tomaintain and improve their community: 1) history with the city; 2) geographic location withinsegregated neighborhoods; …

Productive Armature, Gabriel Ofem Peter

Masters Theses

What if water was all you had, what if your only source of survival was a body of water? I shudder to think that some people get to be put in this situation in the world we live in. As I understand the importance of water to survival, it is obvious that water can be the only lifeline of survival for a community. This is the experience for residents of Makoko, Lagos. Their survival depends on the Lagos Lagoon, a large body of water flowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. This research looks beyond the surface of what this community …

Automation, Migration, And Development: Geography Of Job Precarity In South Asia And North Africa, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

This article examines how accelerating automation and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in advanced economies reshape labor markets across the Global South through interconnected channels of production, migration, and remittances. Drawing on the theories and practices of economic geography, labor economics, and development studies, the analysis conceptualizes automation as a transnational shock that contracts demand for migrant labor while simultaneously amplifying employment precarity in labor-surplus economies. The article advances a geographically grounded framework linking technology adoption in core industries with labor displacement, youth unemployment, and urban labor saturation in South Asia and North Africa. It further highlights the macroeconomic …

Dendroclimatic Response Of The Wet Miombo Woodland Species: A Case Study Of Mufulira District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia, Collins Chibuye Malubeni

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zambia is a tropical, landlocked country that lies in the South-Central part of Africa. The climate in Zambia includes distinct dry and rainy seasons, mainly influenced by the north-south movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which shifts seasonally. This research is focused on understanding the relationship between tree growth and climate using dendrochronology. Forty-nine tropical species, including Julbernardia paniculata, Brachystegia longifolia, and Pericopsis angolensis, were analysed for dendroclimatic potential, and 70% showed clear ring formation, indicating that trees in this locality produce distinct annual ring boundaries. For the single species chronology, thirteen cores from eight trees that were initially …

Using Satellite-Observed Geospatial Inundation Data To Identify The Impacts Of Floods On Firm-Level Performance: The Case Of China During 2000–2009, Pao-Li Chang, Fan Zheng

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper compiles high-resolution geospatial inundation areas of China for the period 2000–2009 based on satellite imagery repositories filtered by the Global Flood Database (GFD). In parallel, we geocode a comprehensive firm-level dataset of China and combine these two sets of geospatial data to identify the set of inundated firms in each year of flood events, as well as the distances of all non-inundated firms from the inundated areas. Given the high-resolution inundation data, we adopt a generalized dynamic-panel specification to estimate dynamic and spatial spillover effects of floods on firm-level production activities (including outputs, capital and labor inputs, and …

Increasing Accuracy Of Mapping Local Climatic Zones Using Building Height And Spectral Unmixing, Ian Douglas Stauffer

Masters Theses

Local climatic zone (LCZ) classifications are traditionally done using reflectance, population data, and often climatic data. The goal of this research is to utilize Google’s new “Open Buildings Temporal v1” building data set as well as “spectral unmixing”. With the objective of testing, assessing, and implementing this data set into the workflow of LCZ mapping. After testing the quality of the data against a validated LiDAR data set from the same year as a given “Open Buildings Temporal v1” band, I implemented it into the Random Forest machine learning process. Secondly, I justified the use of spectral unmixing as a …

Redeveloping Mississippi: A Case Study On Brownfields In Central & Southern Mississippi, Sahrah R. Yeroozedek

Master's Theses

Brownfields, or properties that are or possibly are contaminated with dangerous materials, represent a common obstacle for communities in Mississippi. The real or potential presence of contaminants at these sites often deters investors due to costly cleanup requirements (EPA, n.d. -b). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Brownfield Revitalization Program, implemented guidelines for covering the costs and labor associated with the remediation of these properties. The EPA is not, however, responsible for redevelopment that supports long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Although the EPA maintains inventories of all Brownfields, there is also no comprehensive database of Brownfields and their current …

Elevational Patterns Of Microplastic Density In The Surface Water Of Remote Mountain Lakes In The Swiss Alps, Nora Gutzwiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This novel study investigates the presence, distribution, and possible drivers of microplastic (MP) pollution in 15 alpine and subalpine lakes in the Swiss Alps. A total of 35 surface water samples were collected and analyzed under a microscope to identify and classify MPs by size, shape, and color. MPs were found in all lakes, with small fibers being the most abundant type, suggesting that atmospheric processes are a key transport pathway. Contrary to expectations, MP levels showed no significant relationship with elevation, temperature, pH, or distance to anthropogenic features, indicating that broader environmental processes likely control their distribution. However, clear …

Impact Of Living Shorelines On Coastal Morphology And Sedimentology, Sydney Garber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Living shorelines, or nature-based solutions, have emerged as a preferred approach to coastal restoration, but have not been well studied or monitored postimplementation. This project evaluated the efficacy of living shorelines in protecting and stabilizing coastal morphology in Palm Beach County’s Lake Worth Lagoon. The study assessed surface and subsurface sedimentology, short-term water-level variability, and morphological change at two living shoreline areas of Jewell Steinhardt Cove and Snook Islands Natural Area. Each shoreline area has different breakwater designs aimed at stabilizing the shoreline with recruitment of oysters and mangroves in the Lake Worth Lagoon. Overall, seasonal morphology and sediment data …

Organizing To Engage: A Framework For Conflict Strategy, Paul Mason Carpenter

Dissertations

Conflict strategy can be exceedingly complex. While many of the basics are simple, even the simple can be highly complicated to execute. The Schlieffen Plan in World War I appeared straight forward, but execution was a great deal more complex. It failed and the result was years of trench warfare.  In addition, leaders entering conflict may not fully appreciate the full context, its effect, and the need for a long term result--a better state of peace.

Strategy and tactics may be challenging to transform as an engagement evolves. In addition, strategists must often commit to courses of action within very …

Settler Colonialism: A Case-Study Analysis Of Dam Infrastructure In The American West, Kassidy Haynes, Carrie Mott

The Cardinal Edge

In 17^th-century North America, a number of world powers began extensive colonial efforts to stake a claim on territories and their resources. Settler colonialism in the United States followed a distinct track to the west compared to that which occurred in the east following this initial land-grab. Because infrastructure preceded some formal, highly concentrated settlement in the western United States, this region experienced the oppression of settler colonialism in distinct manifestations. Namely, the physical imposition of construction projects such as dams established early dynamics of differential power and control between the federal government and the diverse array of …

Analyzing The Climate-Growth Response Of Hemlock Species In Tight Hollow, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, Usa, Jacob G. Brown

The Cardinal Edge

Kentucky’s (KY) local climate is facing uncertainty as the influence of climate change pushes hydrological variation to its extremes. Proxy-based data can be used to better understand this variation by analyzing past climatic conditions. Tree rings provide valuable proxy data on an annual to sub-annual resolution that can be used to create climate reconstructions. However, the state of Kentucky lacks high temporal and spatial resolution datasets for accurate climate reconstruction analysis. Climate-sensitive tree species and locations must be identified and evaluated within Kentucky to further enhance these datasets to a higher resolution. Our research objective is to analyze the climate-growth …

Ecomusicological Representation Of Climate Change And Environmental Sustainability In Selected Bongo Fleva Lyrics In Tanzania, Auson N. Wincheslaus

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article critically explores how Bongo Fleva’s lyrics engage with environmental themes; and the interrelationship between nature and culture in the context of the Anthropocene. The data were purposively sampled from YouTube via content analysis, from which 50 Bongo Fleva songs were listened to, and only 10 environmentally-themed songs were analysed. Then, the selected songs were subjected to transcription (from oral to written form), translation (from Kiswahili into English), and close reading and textual analysis. The close reading of the selected songs focused on the employed aesthetic and rhetorical strategies, such as anthropomorphism, symbolism, antithesis, apocalyptic tones, solastalgia, rhetorical questions, …

Ecosystem-Based Flood Disaster Risk Reduction In The Little Ruaha River Basin, In The Southern Highlands Of Tanzania, Mawazo Ghambi, Tiemo Romward Haule

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Ecosystem-based approach that integrates floods and environmental risk management is believed to reduce flood disaster risk while providing socio-economic and environmental benefits to floodplain occupants. This study examined the socio-economic and environmental benefits of the ecosystem-based approach in managing flood disaster risk in the Little Ruaha River Basin in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The study involved 157 participants and employed the mixed research design to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews, direct field observation and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect primary data, whereas documentary review was used to collect secondary data. Findings revealed that …

Resilience Among Smallholder Irish Potato Farmers To The Impacts Of Climate Variability In Wanging’Ombe District, Tanzania, Timotheo Bilary Ngalaga, Digna Wolfram Mlengule, Jackson Raymond Sawe

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper examines smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate variability, and their resilience in enhancing their capacity to adopt. The data was collected from 98 heads of households using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The methods of data collection included household surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews, and document review. The quantitative data were analysed using the IBM SPSS (Version 23), while the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that 69.4% of respondents reported a decrease in rainfall, while 89.8% reported an increase and fluctuations in temperature over the past 29 years. Moreover, the findings …

Climate Change Vulnerability And Adaptation Pathways: Stakeholders’ Synergies In Building Climate Resilience In The Semi-Arid Area Of Central Tanzania, Helena Elias Myeya

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article examines the perceived effect of climate change on cereal crop production and the responses of various stakeholders aimed at enhancing the resilience of smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas of central Tanzania. A total of 366 household heads, 28 participants in focus group discussions (FGDs), and 8 key informants from Bahi and Kongwa districts in Dodoma, Tanzania, were involved in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a structured interview schedule, FGDs, in-depth interviews, and documentary reviews. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The findings indicate that smallholder …

Relationship Between Vegetation Greenness (Ndvi) And Land Surface Temperature Across Land Cover Types In Ciwidey Sub-Watershed (1990–2020), Syal Syabila, Kuswantoro Marko, Revi Hernina

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Land cover change significantly influences vegetation greenness and land surface temperature (LST), particularly in upstream watershed regions experiencing rapid development. This study aims to analyze changes in vegetation greenness (NDVI), land surface temperature, and their relationship across different land cover types in the Ciwidey Sub-Watershed, Bandung Regency, during 1990–2020. Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI images (Path/Row 122/65) acquired in July 1990, 2005, and 2020 were processed using radiometric correction, supervised classification (Maximum Likelihood), NDVI extraction, and mono-window LST algorithm. Land cover classification accuracy was assessed using confusion matrix analysis. Linear regression was applied to evaluate the relationship between …

Evaluating Climatic Niche Suitability For Bos Javanicus Reintroduction In Cagar Alam Pananjung Pangandaran Using Maxent And Native-Habitat Benchmarks From Ujung Kulon And Alas Purwo, Azhari Al Kautsar, Masita Dwi Mandini Manessa

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

The Javan banteng (Bos javanicus) persists on Java mainly in a small number of protected-area strongholds, making robust climatic niche characterization important for conservation planning and for evaluating potential management or restoration targets. Here, we modeled banteng climatic suitability in southwestern Java using a MaxEnt (maxnet) framework calibrated with bioclimatic predictors from CHELSA and benchmark occurrence records from extant populations in Ujung Kulon National Park (UKNP) and Alas Purwo National Park (APNP). To contextualize transferability to non-occupied protected habitat, we also projected suitability to Cagar Alam Pananjung Pangandaran (CAPP) and quantified environmental novelty using the Multivariate Environmental Similarity Surface (MESS). …

Research Journal 2026: People And Places, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

José Rivera narrates his life history from adolescence into college years, university teaching, research career, publications, and ends with post-retirement service as a giving back to community. For most of his term as an academic, his research focus was on community-based organizations that he terms “peoples’ institutions”: acequia associations and mutual help societies. For data, he conducted field work in New Mexico and the American Southwest as well as internationally, primarily in Mexico, Peru, Spain and the Philippines. While at these locations, he interviewed people, collected maps, researched archives, and took photographs as ethnographic evidence of people and places. His …

Promoting Bromo Geological Heritage: Development Storymaps As Web Geographic Information Systems For Edutourism, Alfyananda Kurnia Putra, Batchuluun Yembuu, Diky Al Khalidy, Philipp Baidoo

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

Mount Bromo has the potential to be a Geological Heritage Site (Geosite) in learning Geography, but it is hampered by accessibility such as cost, risk, time, and other physical limitations. This study aims to develop and evaluate Web GIS Storymaps media for Geography learning. This research is Research and Development (R&D) with the ADDIE model, which consists of five stages, namely Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The resulting product is “Edutourism Bromo Volcano”, a storymap-based learning media that can be accessed on various devices. The results of the evaluation showed that this media was “Very Feasible” by material and …

Student's Disaster Comprehension In Merapi Eruption Disaster Prone Area: A New Approach Of Measuring Disaster Preparedness Profile Toward Young Generation, Agus Dwi Febrianto, Muhammad Nursa'ban, Zahid Zufar At Thaariq, James Leonard Mwakapemba

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

The number of disaster incidents in Indonesia causes disaster risk reduction efforts in Indonesia, especially young people, to need to be optimally increased. The extent of efforts to improve the preparedness of the younger generation cannot be known without going through the initial identification of disaster preparedness based on the youth profile. This study aims to describe and identify the preparedness profile of young people based on disaster preparedness measurement instruments. The method used in this study is descriptive by presenting, describing, and analyzing further data to find new conclusions and discoveries by comparing several data. Data collection was carried …

Development Of Sustainable Economy Programs In Langkat Regency, North Sumatra: Characteristics Of Coastal Communities And Mangrove Utilization, Meilinda Suriani Harefa, Mohamed Abdelwareth, Armin Rahmansyah Nasution, M Taufik Rahmadi, Dwi Irfansyah, Nurul 'Ain

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

Langkat Regency is one of the regencies in North Sumatra with a mangrove forest area of 26,774 hectares in 2024. Mangrove forests offer numerous benefits to coastal communities. Beyond serving as ecosystem resources, mangrove forests also provide economic benefits to coastal residents. Since the 1990s, coastal communities in Langkat Regency have begun cutting down forests for firewood without understanding the potential impacts. If this phenomenon continues, mangrove forest deforestation will worsen. The research aims to identify the characteristics of coastal communities in Langkat Regency, analyze the economic programs favored by these communities, and develop economic program models that sustainably utilize …

Modelling Land Use Land Cover Change In Banyumas Regency Using Remote Sensing Data For Tourism Policy Evaluation, Revi Hernina, Arif Wicaksono, Adi Wibowo, Astrid Damayanti

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Tourism is essentially a geographical phenomenon, encompassing the movement and flow of people and spatial distribution patterns relating to land use consumption. The impacts of tourism on LUCC must track and monitor regrading effected to environment and human side. For decades, Banyumas Regency has been known for its famous tourist destinations such Baturaden District and numerous waterfalls. However, the development of tourism infrastructures within its vicinity has sparked complaints from communities, particularly damaged roads and decreasing tourist visits. From environmental perspective, excessive tourism development might cause decreasing natural carrying capacity. Therefore, to provide deeper analysis regarding the current tourism development, …

Agro-Ecotourism In Ciputri Village: Evaluating Potentials And Strategies For Sustainable Tourism Development, Inanditya W. Putri, Hafid Setiadi

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Sustainable rural tourism development requires integrated planning that balances environmental conservation, community participation, and local economic growth. Agro-ecotourism has emerged as an important approach to support village-based tourism development in environmentally sensitive areas. Ciputri Village in Cianjur Regency has been designated as a tourism village and possesses considerable agro-based and ecological potential. However, tourism development remains suboptimal due to limited public awareness, low visitor numbers, and fragmented strategic planning. This study aims to assess agro-ecotourism potential and to formulate priority development strategies. An integrated approach combining Participatory Geographic Information Systems (P-GIS), SWOT-based EFAS/IFAS analysis, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) …

Study Of The Spatial Effect Of Geothermal On Surface Water Quality (Case Study Of Ci Pamatutan Watershed, Parakansalak Sub-District), Fauzan Abdurrahman Masykur, Prasetiawan Pras, M. Rafli Ariq Rianputra, Nesya Desfarivana Umaya, Vanesa Kelly Gabriela, Mangapul Parlindungan Tambunan, Supriatna Supriatna

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Geothermal plays an important role in affecting surface water quality with both positive and negative effects. It becomes an efficient renewable energy source in generating electricity without producing harmful gases. However, the presence of geothermal affects the quality of surface water in a watershed. This research is focused on the Mount Salak geothermal area which has volcanic and tectonic activity. Parameters such as electrical conductivity (measured in millisiemens/cm) were used to measure the content of minerals and dissolved compounds in the water. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) measured in ppt is used to quantify dissolved solids, while water acidity (pH) indicates …

Uncertainty-Aware Estimation, Planning, And Control For Tracking Multiple Drifting Patches In Flow Fields, Daniel O. Akanji, Krishnanand N. Kaipa, Cong Wei

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

In this study, we present a replay-based framework for uncertainty-aware persistent tracking of multiple advected surface patches using an autonomous marine vehicle operating in spatiotemporal-varying currents. The method combines three components: local flow estimation, covariance-aware patch-boundary propagation with intermittent boundary fusion, and mission-level scheduling over multiple patches. Each patch is represented by a polygonal boundary, whose vertices are propagated through the estimated flow field while carrying per-vertex covariance, thereby quantifying uncertainty growth during advection. A flow-aware gain-scheduled linear quadratic regulator (LQR) was designed to shape the desired surge speed to take advantage of favorable currents. When the vehicle services a …

Identifying Socio-Economic Areas Of Concern Towards Inclusion In Gis Hazard Management In Detroit, Michigan., Ernestina Osei

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

This study examined the spatial distribution of socio-economic vulnerability and accessibility to essential services in Detroit, Michigan, using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based approach. The research aimed to identify areas of greatest concern by integrating socio-economic indicators, including poverty, housing vacancy, income, unemployment, and crime, with spatial measures of access to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, fire stations, police stations, and grocery stores. Both feature-based and raster-based analyses were employed, including buffer and overlay analysis, service area evaluation, Euclidean distance modeling, and multi-criteria suitability analysis.

A mixed-methods framework was adopted to combine quantitative spatial analysis with contextual understanding of urban …