Geography Commons^™

Legal Geographies Of Mapuche-Williche Ancestral Waters: Real Estate Development And Contested Jurisdiction In Riparian Areas, Adamari Benavidez

Geography Undergraduate Senior Theses

In the Wallmapu (ancestral Mapuche territory) of southern Chile, river and lakefront real estate development is often promoted by state institutions and developers as conservation or eco-tourism. However, these inmobiliaria projects are part of a longer trajectory of settler colonial jurisdiction, historically materialized through the dispossession of Mapuche-Williche territory. In the Maihue–Ranco subwatershed, this encroaching development are sparking increasing conflict with Mapuche-Williche lof (community), as developers and residents engage in extralegal practices—diverting waterways, denying access to lakefronts, surveilling mobility—that are fundamentally incompatible with Mapuche territorial order (Azmapu).

In this thesis I ask: (i) What spatial and legal strategies …

The Idea Of Ethiopia: Heritage Tourism In The Land Of Origins, Hosaena T. Tilahun

Geography Undergraduate Senior Theses

Hosaena Tilahun's "The Idea of Ethiopia" explores how heritage tourism in Addis Ababa cultivates Ethiopian patriotism and exceptionalism. Through an in-depth, close reading of the National Museum of Ethiopia, Unity Park, and the Oromo Cultural Center, supplemented by observations at the Red Terror Memorial Museum and Dergue Prison, Tilahun examines how heritage sites shape the political memory of national resistance, revolution, and Black internationalist thought. Tilahun discovers omissions of Menelik II's role in the Red Sea Slave network, encountering museum and archival silences about the internal conquest of peoples peripheral to the northern Abyssinian empire. As these heritage site renovations …

Redeeming The Amazon: Development Discourses And Imaginaries In Manaus, Brazil, Beatriz Da Silva Falcao

Geography Undergraduate Senior Theses

In 1957, the Brazilian government approved Law No.1310, establishing a free port in the city of Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas. Politicians at the time argued that such a project was essential to help mitigate the unfortunate economic circumstances the state faced due to its geographical isolation. Ten years later, the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil expanded that mission through Decree No.288, thus creating what is now known as the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM, Free Trade Zone, or FTZ), an area with a series of fiscal incentives to foment industrialization in the Amazon region. The Zona …

Youth Activism And The City: An Urban Political Ecology Of Flooding In Porto Alegre, Brazil, Nadine Lorini Formiga

Geography Undergraduate Senior Theses

This thesis examines the catastrophic 2024 flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil—locally known as "The Flood"—through the lens of young environmental activists' experiences in Porto Alegre. Drawing on urban political ecology, disaster studies, and climate justice frameworks, this research examines how colonial-era urban planning and infrastructure influenced the socio-environmental conditions that led to The Flood, how the disaster affected young activists' relationships with their city, and what climate justice might entail in this context. Through (auto)ethnographic fieldwork conducted from July to August 2024, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, walk-throughs, and social media analysis, this study engages primarily with Eco …

A Fifty-Year Assessment Of Historical Planning Processes And Green Space Distribution (1975-2025): A Case Study Of Portland, Or, Usa, Quadri Olatunbosun Taiwo

Dissertations and Theses

The Portland study examined past planning regulations and greenspace distribution over the period of fifty years, with particular attention given to neighborhood differences between invested and non-invested neighborhoods. This research utilized a mixed-methods approach through the synthesis of qualitative themes from oral narratives and archival records. Furthermore, I examined spatial greenspace using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) imagery. I tested the study hypothesis using the GIS Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression test to predict how key sociodemographic characteristics affect the provision of greenspace in non-white disinvested neighborhoods. The key findings indicated a consistent trend of inequity in greenspace, heavily shaped …

Pluriversal Energy Justice Through An Intersectional Feminist Lens: Analyzing Rural Electrification Injustices And Policy Pathways At Kenya's Garissa Solar Park, Carolyne M. Musyoka

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Located approximately 4 km from Raya village in Garissa County, the Garissa Solar Park spans

85 hectares and was envisioned as a flagship renewable energy project. Yet, despite its scale and proximity, the marginalized pastoralist community of Raya continues to face acute energy poverty, limited irrigation capacity, and exclusion from the material and socio-ecological benefits of the green energy project. This study critically examines the systemic energy injustices embedded within the Garissa Solar Park—specifically procedural, distributive, and recognition-based inequalities—and critiques the project’s failure to deliver on principles of equity, local meaningful and democratic participation, and gender inclusion.

The research assesses …

Identifying The Drivers Behind The Decline Of Douglas-Fir And True Fir Species In Sw Oregon, Alexander Bryant Bentley

Dissertations and Theses

Increased levels of Pseudotsuga menziesii (DF) and Abies species (TF) decline throughout dry forests in the Klamath Mountains and Western Cascades ecoregions have been recorded in recent years, with preliminary evidence suggesting that factors influenced by changing climatic conditions and encroachment from fire suppression policies are primarily to blame. Yet, the physiological and environmental mechanisms of drought-driven tree decline are poorly understood across biophysical and spatial gradients. Given the complex relations that drive decline, determining the degree of influence of specific drivers is difficult, creating unique challenges for modern forest management. To elucidate the most important factors driving DF and …

An International Perspective On Geography Curricula: Paving A Way Forward For Geographical Thinking, Tomáš Bendl, Hilde Storrøsæter, Lene Møller Madsen, David Trokšiar, Raphaële De La Martinière, Shanshan Liu, Sizakele Serame, Jerry T. Mitchell, Péter Bagoly-Simó, Yushan Duan, Gillian Kidman

Faculty Publications

Geographical thinking is a cornerstone of modern geography education. Despite its universal value, no large-scale international study has systematically examined its integration into diverse curricular documents. This study investigates how geographical thinking is embedded in the curricula of nine countries, focusing on content and procedural dimensions. Using a structured analytical framework, the research reveals significant patterns and gaps, particularly the underrepresentation of place as a central concept, the lack of explicit focus on geographical thinking, and the limited emphasis on its procedural dimension. The findings emphasise the need for stronger interconnections between these dimensions to promote a more comprehensive approach …

Sunrise At The Salton Sea: Environmental Justice, Land Use Change, And Hydrosocial Dynamics Of Solar Energy Transitions In The Imperial Valley, California, Dustin Mulvaney, James J. A. Blair, Alida Cantor

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

California's Imperial Valley, with lithium-rich geothermal brines, extensive flat agricultural fields with abundant desert sunshine, and access to transmission lines, is a leading case to explore interconnected themes around just energy transitions. Despite being the poorest county in California and one of the smallest, Imperial already provides 15% of the state’s solar electricity, and the region as a whole represents on the order of 25% of the state’s electric power capacity. This paper brings to light frictions over solar energy development that have emerged over the history of solar power development in the southern Salton Sea region. It describes the …

No. 42: Remittance Practices, Digital Technologies And The Ghana-Canada Migration Corridor, Naomi Sunu, Sujata Ramachandran

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

Migrant remittances have been recognized as vital resources for the well-being of recipient households and communities, as well as for sustainable development in the Global South. However, these flows can be impeded by limitations in the infrastructure, financial systems, and regulatory environments of both sending and receiving countries, as exemplified by the high costs associated with remitting to sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, the use of less secure but more affordable informal remittance channels persists. Driven by the rapid growth of fintech technologies in recent years, including mobile money and web-based platforms, the digitalization of remittance-sending and receiving processes has the potential …

Convergence Research For Microplastic Pollution At The Watershed Scale, Heejun Chang, Elise F. Granek, Amanda Gannon, Jordyn M. Wolfand, Janice Brahney

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microplastics are found in Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, and ecosphere. While there is a growing interest and need to solve this grand challenge in both the academic and policy realms, few have engaged with academics, policymakers, and community partners to co-identify the problem, co-design research, and co-produce knowledge in tackling this issue. Using a convergence research framework, we investigated the perception of microplastic pollution among different end users, delivered educational materials to K-12 teachers and practitioners, and identified key sampling points for assessing environmental microplastic concentrations in the Columbia River Basin, United States. Three community partner workshops identified regional …

Living Arrangements Of Grandparents In The Mountain West, 2021, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, Kristian Thymianos, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines data on living arrangements from the U.S. Census Bureau report “Grandparents and Their Coresident Grandchildren: 2021.” This fact sheet includes data on the number of grandparents living with their grandchildren, the percentage of grandparents living with grandchildren, and the percentage of grandparents that are responsible for grandchildren in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Synthesis Of Publications On The Anomalous June 2021 Heat Wave In The Pacific Northwest Of The United States And Canada, Erica Fleishman, David E. Rupp, Paul C. Loikith, Karin A. Bumbaco, Larry W. O'Neill

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

We synthesized more than 70 articles, most peer reviewed, that addressed the heat wave that occurred across the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada in late June 2021, breaking hundreds of daily and all-time daily maximum temperature records across the region. A persistent, extraordinarily strong ridge of high pressure was a primary driver of the heat wave. Contributing mechanisms were moisture originating in the tropical western Pacific Ocean, high solar radiation, low pressure offshore, large-scale subsidence over land, and unusually dry soils. Climate change contributed to the heat wave’s magnitude by increasing mean temperature, although it is unclear …

Exploring Early Childhood Development Programming In Kenya’S Arid And Semi-Arid Lands, Phyllis Magoma, Amina Abubakar, Martha Kaniala, Barack Aoko, Moses Wesala, Joyce Marangu, Susan Nyamanya, Margaret Kabue, Anil Khamis, Esther Chongwo

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Promoting high-quality early childhood development (ECD) is vital for individuals’ physical and social well-being and yields significant societal returns. However, children in marginalised regions like Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) face significant barriers to accessing quality ECD services.

Aim: This study aimed to document existing ECD services in Kenya’s ASAL areas, including their availability, types and key characteristics; identify gaps in their provision and propose solutions to enhance access and quality. Setting: This qualitative study was conducted in 10 ASAL counties in Kenya.

Methods: Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, 103 key informants, including pre-primary …

A Climatological Analysis Of Drought And Flood In California, Kristen Faith Coston

Masters Theses

This research is investigating the climate states that produce droughts and floods and seeks to explain how a sudden shift from persistent drought to drought-alleviating flood is possible. Objectives include investigating how drought and flood in California are influenced by temperature and climate patterns, whether there are any correlation between climate/ocean indices and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and whether Atmospheric Rivers (ARS) are influenced by certain atmospheric/oceanic states.

All data is collected for 41 years, between 1983 and 2024. The SPI dataset is obtained by coding to filter for the mean value of all pixels in Sacramento County. Monthly …

Ecological Grief Among Farmers And Pastoralists In Ethiopia And Kenya, Syed Shabab Wahid, Christine Musyimi, Benjamin Oestericher, Linda Khakali, Lauren Carruth, Emily Mendenhall, Edna Bosire

Brain and Mind Institute

Climate change is a major cause of mental distress worldwide. In many ways, climate change has become a chronic disaster, while in other ways each acute event can accumulate and present challenges within and between communities. A growing body of evidence indicates that a changing climate can precipitate a cluster of negative affective states scholars call “ecological grief.” Ecological grief reflects psychological responses to climate changes and destruction of nature, species, culturally significant or sacred spaces. Until now, ecological grief has been conceptualized as a psychological response connected primarily to the destruction of the natural environment, and has not fully …

Analyzing The Dihedral Scattering Component Of P-Band Sar Signals For Trunk Permittivity Estimation – A Concept Study, Anke Fluhrer, Hamed Alemohammad, Thomas Jagdhuber

Geography

A new retrieval method, based on a hybrid decomposition technique and the extended (x-) Fresnel model, is proposed for estimating trunk permittivity from polarimetric P-band SAR observations. P-band SAR observations of NASA's Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS) mission campaign are employed to test the proposed retrieval method at individual measuring stations across the U.S. between 2013 and 2015. In order to test the feasibility of the x-Fresnel model for such analyses and its sensitivity to required input parameters, a detailed sensitivity study revealed that at P-band frequencies there is a need to account for scattering losses, phase …

Iberian Origins Of New Mexico's Community Acequias, Jose A. Rivera Ph.D., Thomas F. Glick Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

When Spanish officials first entered the northern region of New Spain in the late sixteenth century, they realized that irrigation would be a necessary development in the establishment of permanent communities. To sustain the early settlements, they built irrigation systems following the Iberian model, itself an extension of Arabo-Berber traditions from north Africa and the Middle East.

Infrastructure From Below: Mediasi Dan Politik Pembangunan Infrastruktur Air Di Kota Balikpapan, Muhammad Althaf Nandiati Yusfid

Antropologi Indonesia

The city of Balikpapan is experiencing a water crisis. The discrepancy between the city's water supply and Balikpapan's demography put pressure towards the city's capability of supporting its own citizens. This issue is exacerbated by the development of Indonesia's New Capital (IKN) which is located just outside Balikpapan. Therefore, the development of water infrastructure is imperative for the city. Yet, there's no recent visible development of water infrastructure in the city. However, I argue that water infrastructure development actually exists, though in a subtle form. The informal water suppliers that are prevalent in the city is tied with how the …