Vom Lehrstuhl vergebene Studienprojekte werden hier veröffentlicht. Bitte kontaktieren Sie Dr. Egute (eguteter(at)b-tu.de) und Niyanta Shetye (Niyanta.Shetye(at)b-tu.de) wenn Sie sich für ein Projekt registrieren möchten.

Aktuelle Angebote:

Environmental and Resource Management (Master)

• Role of forests in national climate change strategies: A comparative analysis of the NDCs of two Parties with respect to implementing Article 5 of the Paris Agreement

Given that climate change is an environmental problem of great concern to humanity and the potential role of forest in combating it, the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change provides a framework that recognizes the protection of forest as a valuable climate policy measure. Article 5 of the agreement requires member states to take measures to conserve and enhance sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases, including forests. To implement these measures, many parties have incorporated conservation and sustainable management of forests into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are climate actions they plan to achieve. This study project requires you to choose two countries and carry out a comparative analysis of their NDCs with respect to implementation of Article 5 of the Paris Agreement. Focus has to be on extent to which both countries have implemented Article 5 in their NDCs. This has to be based on a comparative analysis of the national targetspertaining to Article 5as laid down in their NDCs, how they will be achieved, strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement. 

• Implementation of REDD+ mechanisms in a preferred developing country: Efforts, challenges and opportunities

Since forests are a gigantic carbon sink and as such play a vital role in regulating   greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it is recognised that they should be included in the fight against climate change through the use of mechanisms such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, with the enhancement of forest carbon stock (REDD+). In this project, you should examine the extent of implementing REDD+ mechanisms by any developing country of your choice, focusing on the country’s efforts, challenges and opportunities.

• Initiatives to protect forests through voluntary sustainability standards: Examination of extent of implementation of FLEGT-VPA or FSC forest certification in a selected country

Over the years, the world has experienced increasing deforestation and forest degradation that has resulted to loss of biodiversity and drastic decline of ecosystem services. Given that deforestation and forest degradation are considered among global environmental problems, voluntary sustainability standards are regarded as important instruments through which sustainable forest management can be implemented and forest management improved especially for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Considering that there is proliferation of voluntary sustainability standard schemes in many countries, this project requires you to select a country of your choice and discuss its extent of implementing Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade-Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) international standard.

• A selected country’s sustainable forest management initiative with potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation

Even though deforestation is considered as one of the main causes of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, it is irrefutable that forests are a gigantic carbon sink and can play a vital role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This study project requires you to choose a country and discuss sustainable forest management initiative

 it has undertaken that could potentially contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The problems encountered in practicing sustainable forest management beneficial for climate change mitigation and adaptation should be highlighted and recommendations for improvement provided.

• Protection of biodiversity through international legal instruments: A critical examination of implementation of Articles 6-11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity by a selected country

This study project requires you to choose a country that has ratified the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity and discuss the measures which reveal the country’s efforts in implementing and complying with Articles 6-11 of the Convention. There should be a critical examination of the country’s implementation measures in view of ascertaining the extent to which it has fulfilled its commitments under Articles 6-11 of the Convention. Based on the research findings, you have to state the extent of effectiveness, implementation weaknesses identified and proffer recommendations for improvement.

• Investigation of the major achievements of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Unprecedented loss of biological diversity inspired negotiations for a legally-binding instrument i.e. the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which aims at reversing the alarming trend. As the main international instrument for addressing accelerated rate of biodiversity loss, the CBD has registered some successes. This study project requires you to focus on the major achievements of the Convention. Based on the research outcome; achievements, synopsis of weaknesses and suggestions for improvements should be provided.

• Appraisal of implementation of Access and Benefit Sharing in a preferred State Party in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity and Nagoya Protocol

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity also known as the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) aims at implementing one of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity i.e. the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, thus contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. In this project, you should critically assess the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing by any country of your choice that has ratified the protocol.

• Efforts and problems in implementing the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal in a selected country

Pollution from toxic chemicals and hazardous waste is one of the profound global environmental problems. The transboundary movement of hazardous wastes led to negotiation and adoption of the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal whose main objective is to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effect of the wastes.  In this project, you are required to select a country that has ratified the Basel convention and discuss the main points which reveal its efforts in implementing and complying with the convention. You have to state the implementation problems identified as well as recommendations for improvement.

• Role of legal framework in promoting the deployment of renewable energy technologies in a preferred country

Climate change is one of the current global environmental problems of great concern to humanity and in order to combat it, agencies such as the International Energy Agency promote the use of renewable energy as a viable solution. Given that policy plays an important role in accelerating the deployment of renewable energy technologies, this project requires you to discuss the role that legal and policy framework has played in promoting the deployment of renewable energy in any country of your choice. You have to focus on the policy and regulatory options as well as institutional frameworks that have proven to boost the uptake renewable energy in your chosen country.

• Impediments to large scale deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in a selected country and possible solutions

Despite the importance of renewable energy in providing access to sustainable modern energy services and combating climate change, setbacks with respect to its large scale deployment have been encountered in many countries. In this study project, you are supposed to discuss barriers impeding large scale deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in any country of your choice and provide insight into innovative strategies for rapid deployment.