Dissertationen

Laufende Dissertationen:

• Local Risk Maturity: A social geographic approach to storm surge risk preparedness in Eastern Frisia
  Martin Bönewitz M.Sc.
  martin.boenewitz@hzg.de
  Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Beate M. W. Ratter
  Duration: 2017-2020

  The risk of storm surges and derived hazards endangers the coastline of Eastern Frisian particularly by global climate change, morphological coast dynamics and demographic changes. Although the local population is aware about this situation, individuals’ risk preparedness remains low. Aim of this PhD project is to analyze why people do not prepare sufficiently despite their high level of risk awareness. Starting point are realized preparedness practices (e.g. precautionary building, stockpiling, engagement in disaster management units, climate change sensitive lifestyle) which are analyzed from a theory of action perspective. In the focus of analysis are the individual’s decisions of action framed by cognitive, emotional and ethic conditions.  In a risk context, this frame is understood as risk maturity. In the field, risk maturity will be approach by known factors of risk preparedness (e.g. experience, trust, responsibilisation) by methods of qualitative empirical research.

• Making New Spaces 'Institutional Risk Cultures and Climate Change Adaptation on the North German Coast'
  Lea Stumbitz M.Sc.
  lea.stumbitz@hzg.de
  Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Beate M. W. Ratter
  Duration: 2016-2019

• Dealing with sea level rise on small Maldivian Islands
  Arne Hennig M.Sc.
  arne.hennig@uni-hamburg.de
  Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Beate M. W. Ratter
Duration: 2016-2019

In the context of adaptation to climate change, the concept of “barriers to adaptation” refers to factors and conditions that negatively influence the process of successful adaptation to climate change. The aim of this PhD project is to analyze the barriers to adaptation in the Maldives from a complexity theory perspective with a particular focus on institutional and political barriers. There is a need to recognize that adaptation strategies and measures are embedded strongly into politics and are influenced by political and institutional structures on the local, national and international levels. The importance of including the political sphere in the analysis of a social-ecological system will be empirically revealed by analyzing barriers to adaptation. As a result, by expanding the theory of social-ecological systems, this thesis aims to contribute to a more comprehensive approach to sustainability issues.

• Sustainable adaptation to climate change – exploring perceptions and adaptive capacity of agricultural smallholder groups in St Lucia (working title)
  Franziska Wolf B.A. int., BBA, MIBA
  franziska.wolf@haw-hamburg.de
  Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Beate M. W. Ratter
Duration: 2013-2018

The present work investigates the prospects of sustainable community-based adaptation in a small island context. By means of an integrated framework, local adaptive capacity as a component of social vulnerability will be assessed. In particular, focus is given to assessing the adaptive capacity of vulnerable groups to climate variability and climate change. In line with the principles of action research with its typical iterative, cyclical learning dimensions, the present work thus utilizes vulnerability theory, complemented with insights from learning theories, to assess and explain the adaptive potential of distinctive vulnerable groups on small islands.

Operationally, the case study focuses on farmer and fishery producer groups in St Lucia, a Caribbean SIDS, and examines their adaptive capacity and resulting social vulnerability to a changing environment, attributable, at least partly, to climate variability and climate change. At the heart of this work is a qualitative investigation into how climate change and climate variability are perceived by these agents, how they receive, process and disseminate related information and knowledge, and the capacity-building they anticipate or may subsequently take.

Abgeschlossene Dissertationen:

• Lars Bomhauer-Beins 12/2019: "Adaptivität sozial-ökologischer Inselsysteme - Wissen, Lernen und Governance aus einer komplexitätstheoretischen Resilienzperspektive am Beispiel der Insel Abaco, Bahamas"

• Birgit Gerkensmeier, Hamburg 04/2018: "Governing Risks in a Social Process - Risk Management in the Multi Risk, Multi Scale and Multi-Stakeholder Environment of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Region"

• Vera Köpsel, Hamburg 11/2017: "New Spaces for Climate Change - The Societal Construction of Landscapes in Times of a Changing Climate"

• Daniela Siedschlag, Hamburg 06/2017: "Das Konzept Emotionale Vulnerabilität: Ein Beitrag zur Hazardforschung am Beispiel der Insel Pellworm"

• Corinna de Guttry, Hamburg 01/2017: "Crossing the borders of climate change: An analysis of cultural framings of climate change among migrants in Hamburg"

• Nicole Kruse, Hamburg 12/2016: "Zusammenhänge des regionalen Geohazards Sturmflut mit mentalen Modellen und Risikobewertungen über Klimawandel – Ein Vergleich zwischen Expert*innen und Bürger*innen der Stadt Hamburg"

• Maria Carmona Costa, Hamburg 12/2016: "Risk Perception and governance performance in Multi-Sector Partnerships. The case study of the Permanent Drought Commission of the Jucar River Basin"

• Diana Süsser, Hamburg 06/2016: "People-Powered Local Energy Transition: Mitigating Climate Change with Commuity-Based Renewable Enegy in North Frisia"

• Jan Carl Petzold, Hamburg 03/2016: "Social Capital, Resilience and Adaptation on Small Islands: Climate Change on the Isles of Scilly". Springer International Publishing, 2017 ISBN 978-3-319-52224-1, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-52225-8 

• Barbara Weig, Hamburg 06/2015: "Komplex und evolutionär - eine wirtschaftsgeographische Analyse der Regionalentwicklung in Brunsbüttel". Springer Verlag, Springer Spektrum Research, Resilienz komplexer Regionalsysteme – Brunsbüttel zwischen lock-in und Lernprozessen, Wiesbaden, 2016, ISBN 978-3-658-12785-5, DOI 10.1007/978-3-658-12786-2_1

• Nico Stelljes, Hamburg 01/2012: "Der Einfluss des demographischen Wandels auf Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte in einer Küstenregion – Eine diskursanalytische Betrachtung der Verschränkung zweier Diskurse und die Entwicklung eines dynamischen Simulationsmodells als Beitrag zur post-normal Science"

• Cilli Sobiech, Hamburg 12/2011: "Agent-based Simulation of Vulnerability Dynamics – A Case Study of the German North Sea Coast" – ausgezeichnet mit Springer Theses Prize Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D. Research, erschienen bei Springer Berlin, Heidelberg 2013, ISBN: 978-3-642-32364-5  (Print), 978-3-642-32365-2 (Online) DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-32365-2

• Tanja Michler-Cieluch, Hamburg 06/2009: "Co-Management Processes in Integrated Coastal Management. The Case of Integrating Marine Aquaculture in Offshore Wind Farms"

For current dissertation projects please have a look here