Discover the research projects our Master's students undertake during their studies.
Perspectives on Natural Flood Management: An Exploration of Priories in the Somerset Levels through Analytical Hierarchy Process and Interviews
Student: Harry Watts
Programme: Risk, Disaster and Resilience MSc
"Between November 2013 and March 2014, Somerset experienced extreme rainfall, flooding 15,000 hectares and causing £118 million in losses. The Somerset Levels, one of the UK's most flood-engineered landscapes, faces challenges in managing complex institutional arrangements, geography, and social vulnerability. Natural flood management (NFM) aims to restore ecological functions to reduce flood intensity and absorb floodwaters in small to medium events. Since 2017, the Environment Agency has invested £15 million in government funding for 60 pilot projects, installing over 4,500 NFM measures, but barriers like funding, landholder arrangements, and scientific uncertainty remain. My research uses a social sciences perspective to create a decision-making model for flood management authorities, examining how flood patterns influence the choice of flood management measures to improve collective and multi-stakeholder negotiations on NFM."
If you have any questions or want to participate in an interview, please email Harry (ucfbheh@ucl.ac.uk).
Factors Influencing Perceptions of Individual Household Preparedness in Nigeria
Student: Peniel Ibe
Programme: Risk, Disaster and Resilience MSc
"My research will be exploring the factors that affect perceptions of individual household preparedness (IHP) in Nigeria using the Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll 2021 data set. I am excited to challenge myself in data analyis, policy analysis and hopefully contribute meaningfully to the growing literature on disaster and risk management in Nigeria; and to be supervised by Rozana Himaz on this learning journey."