UoA 17A Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology

The discipline of Geography is based within the College of Life and Environmental Sciences.

We have focused our research around emerging national and international research priorities, and created an environment conducive to interdisciplinary research.

A core focus in physical geography is understanding past and present environmental change, and projecting the consequences of change across multiple global ecosystems and landscapes.

In human geography our research uses theoretically and philosophically articulate arguments, combined with grounded research, to render concepts useful to contemporary political and ethical issues.

In the environmental sustainability arena our research tackles key questions around the theory and policy of sustainability, and around the political economies of energy, climate justice and ecosystem services.

Two major research strategies, aligned to climate change science, and to the humanities and social sciences, have also been developed to support our interdisciplinary research ambitions.

Research focused on the Archaeology aspect of this UoA can be found in UoA 17B Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology.

Key results

  • A significant improvement from 2008 with 77 per cent of research rated as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) up from 60 per cent in RAE 2008.
  • This unit was ranked 20 out 74 nationally.

Impact case studies

NameSummary
Driving innovation and transformation in global energy policy within and beyond government Research undertaken on energy policy and sustainability by Professor Catherine Mitchell and the Energy Policy Group (EPG) has had a major influence on the development and reform of UK, EU and global energy policy. This research has informed policy advice to the UK government on the fundamental resetting of electricity market reforms and underpinned a number of major policy reports. Research by the EPG has also led to numerous engagements with key stakeholders in the energy industry that have influenced policies, procedures and practices, and been used to inform public debate on energy policy.
Follow The Things: developing critical pedagogies to promote geographically-informed and ethically-aware consumption in school geography curriculum Dr Ian Cook has, over the last 20 years, developed a ‘Follow The Things’ approach to appreciating the social relations and ethics of international trade. Its aim has been to encourage and inform - in critical, positive ways – academic and public discussions of the ethics, (in)justices, and possible futures of international trade. In this census period this work has had impact by reshaping the teaching and learning of international trade in UK schools through the new Geography National Curriculum, by driving forward innovation in school geography teaching, and by making public a database on trade justice activism.
Use of soil erosion and soil quality research to inform development of Defra and international agricultural land management policy The Geography department has a reputation for research on the effects of soil erosion and land management on soil quality, diffuse pollution, and on water quality in UK river systems. Since 2008, this research has been used to inform Defra policy, in relation to soils, water, and the Defra code of good agricultural practice. Dissemination of effective approaches to land management, most especially through the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative has resulted in demonstrable changes in farming practice by landowners in several priority river catchments within the UK, demonstrating a positive change in behaviour and improved management of environmental risk. In addition, research on agricultural erosion has been used in the development of new agricultural policy practices in Canada.
Social marketing for sustainability: influencing policy and practice for citizen engagement Research undertaken by Dr Stewart Barr and colleagues examined pro-environmental behaviour policy and notions of behavioural change for environmental sustainability. This body of research has resulted in three main types of impact: it has informed public policy making, promoted product development, and informed public debate on the issue of sustainability. These impacts have been achieved through: reports for Defra that relate to UK behaviour change policy, collaboration with social marketing businesses that has resulted in mobile application development for UK and EU travellers, and informed public debate around issues of consumer behavioural change and flying. The latter was achieved through citation by journalists and the instigation of debate in national (UK) and international media outlets.
Developing evidence-based policies for tropical forest management and carbon emission reductions Dr Luiz Aragão has, since 2008, led research focused on quantifying the impacts of environmental change on fire risk and carbon dynamics in Amazonian forests. Research into drought frequency and intensity and fire occurrence directly informed the design and implementation of environmental policy and regulation in relation to a ‘zero fire’ policy by the State of Acre in Brazil. The work led to the development of new monitoring tools to assist policy makers in understanding the interactions between climate, ecosystems, and human health in Amazonia. Carbon emissions research influenced methodological development within the United Nations REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) programme in Colombia. Dr Aragão’s work has been widely disseminated in media outlets, thus increasing awareness of the general public and policy makers on drought and fire issues in Amazonia.

Research groups

GroupAbout the Group
Environmental Change

The Environmental Change group comprises academics who undertake world-leading research using cutting edge analytical and dating technologies, and palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic analytical and dating approaches, to document past climate dynamics; ice, sea level and climate change; and the processes of marine carbonate production and cycling.

Landscape and Ecosystem Dynamics The Landscape and Ecosystem Dynamics group builds on the University of Exeter’s established strengths in water, sediment and nutrient cycling, with new expertise in ecosystem functioning, carbon dynamics and climate change modelling.
Geographies of Creativity and Knowledge (GeoCAK)

The GeoCAK group combines a group of scholars whose research is a focal point for Exeter’s internationally recognised excellence in cultural and historical geographies. The group has developed new geographical understandings of culture, matter, landscape, knowledge and creativity.

Space, Politics and Society The Spatial Responsibilities group uses its international expertise in the geographies of justice, ethics and global responsibility to undertake agenda-setting research on the creation, performance, reconfiguration and impacts of key ethical and political spaces.
Natures, Materialities and Biopolitics (NaMBIO)

The NAMBIO group focuses on the geographies and politics of living and material systems. Specifically, the group's work focuses on theoretical and empirical interventions into intellectual and policy debates at the human/ nonhuman/ technology interface.

Environment and Sustainability The Environment and Sustainability group is composed of leading and emerging social scientists who undertake interdisciplinary research on frontier issues of environment and sustainability. The group bring spatial and geographical dimensions to research focused on the theory, methods and policy of sustainability, and undertakes cutting edge research in distinctive areas such as place attachment, political economies of energy, climate justice and ecosystem services.

UoA 17A Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology

The discipline of Geography is based within the College of Life and Environmental Sciences.

We have focused our research around emerging national and international research priorities, and created an environment conducive to interdisciplinary research.

A core focus in physical geography is understanding past and present environmental change, and projecting the consequences of change across multiple global ecosystems and landscapes.

In human geography our research uses theoretically and philosophically articulate arguments, combined with grounded research, to render concepts useful to contemporary political and ethical issues.

In the environmental sustainability arena our research tackles key questions around the theory and policy of sustainability, and around the political economies of energy, climate justice and ecosystem services.

Two major research strategies, aligned to climate change science, and to the humanities and social sciences, have also been developed to support our interdisciplinary research ambitions.

Research focused on the Archaeology aspect of this UoA can be found in UoA 17B Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology.

Key results

  • A significant improvement from 2008 with 77 per cent of research rated as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) up from 60 per cent in RAE 2008.
  • This unit was ranked 20 out 74 nationally.

Impact case studies

NameSummary
Driving innovation and transformation in global energy policy within and beyond government Research undertaken on energy policy and sustainability by Professor Catherine Mitchell and the Energy Policy Group (EPG) has had a major influence on the development and reform of UK, EU and global energy policy. This research has informed policy advice to the UK government on the fundamental resetting of electricity market reforms and underpinned a number of major policy reports. Research by the EPG has also led to numerous engagements with key stakeholders in the energy industry that have influenced policies, procedures and practices, and been used to inform public debate on energy policy.
Follow The Things: developing critical pedagogies to promote geographically-informed and ethically-aware consumption in school geography curriculum Dr Ian Cook has, over the last 20 years, developed a ‘Follow The Things’ approach to appreciating the social relations and ethics of international trade. Its aim has been to encourage and inform - in critical, positive ways – academic and public discussions of the ethics, (in)justices, and possible futures of international trade. In this census period this work has had impact by reshaping the teaching and learning of international trade in UK schools through the new Geography National Curriculum, by driving forward innovation in school geography teaching, and by making public a database on trade justice activism.
Use of soil erosion and soil quality research to inform development of Defra and international agricultural land management policy The Geography department has a reputation for research on the effects of soil erosion and land management on soil quality, diffuse pollution, and on water quality in UK river systems. Since 2008, this research has been used to inform Defra policy, in relation to soils, water, and the Defra code of good agricultural practice. Dissemination of effective approaches to land management, most especially through the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative has resulted in demonstrable changes in farming practice by landowners in several priority river catchments within the UK, demonstrating a positive change in behaviour and improved management of environmental risk. In addition, research on agricultural erosion has been used in the development of new agricultural policy practices in Canada.
Social marketing for sustainability: influencing policy and practice for citizen engagement Research undertaken by Dr Stewart Barr and colleagues examined pro-environmental behaviour policy and notions of behavioural change for environmental sustainability. This body of research has resulted in three main types of impact: it has informed public policy making, promoted product development, and informed public debate on the issue of sustainability. These impacts have been achieved through: reports for Defra that relate to UK behaviour change policy, collaboration with social marketing businesses that has resulted in mobile application development for UK and EU travellers, and informed public debate around issues of consumer behavioural change and flying. The latter was achieved through citation by journalists and the instigation of debate in national (UK) and international media outlets.
Developing evidence-based policies for tropical forest management and carbon emission reductions Dr Luiz Aragão has, since 2008, led research focused on quantifying the impacts of environmental change on fire risk and carbon dynamics in Amazonian forests. Research into drought frequency and intensity and fire occurrence directly informed the design and implementation of environmental policy and regulation in relation to a ‘zero fire’ policy by the State of Acre in Brazil. The work led to the development of new monitoring tools to assist policy makers in understanding the interactions between climate, ecosystems, and human health in Amazonia. Carbon emissions research influenced methodological development within the United Nations REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) programme in Colombia. Dr Aragão’s work has been widely disseminated in media outlets, thus increasing awareness of the general public and policy makers on drought and fire issues in Amazonia.

Research groups

GroupAbout the Group
Environmental Change

The Environmental Change group comprises academics who undertake world-leading research using cutting edge analytical and dating technologies, and palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic analytical and dating approaches, to document past climate dynamics; ice, sea level and climate change; and the processes of marine carbonate production and cycling.

Landscape and Ecosystem Dynamics The Landscape and Ecosystem Dynamics group builds on the University of Exeter’s established strengths in water, sediment and nutrient cycling, with new expertise in ecosystem functioning, carbon dynamics and climate change modelling.
Geographies of Creativity and Knowledge (GeoCAK)

The GeoCAK group combines a group of scholars whose research is a focal point for Exeter’s internationally recognised excellence in cultural and historical geographies. The group has developed new geographical understandings of culture, matter, landscape, knowledge and creativity.

Space, Politics and Society The Spatial Responsibilities group uses its international expertise in the geographies of justice, ethics and global responsibility to undertake agenda-setting research on the creation, performance, reconfiguration and impacts of key ethical and political spaces.
Natures, Materialities and Biopolitics (NaMBIO)

The NAMBIO group focuses on the geographies and politics of living and material systems. Specifically, the group's work focuses on theoretical and empirical interventions into intellectual and policy debates at the human/ nonhuman/ technology interface.

Environment and Sustainability The Environment and Sustainability group is composed of leading and emerging social scientists who undertake interdisciplinary research on frontier issues of environment and sustainability. The group bring spatial and geographical dimensions to research focused on the theory, methods and policy of sustainability, and undertakes cutting edge research in distinctive areas such as place attachment, political economies of energy, climate justice and ecosystem services.