Website: http://www.geography.uottawa.ca/prof/dawson.htm

Research involves

Advancing knowledge about resilience and social vulnerability in communities that have seen their local communities transformed as a result of environmental change.

Research relevance

This research will focus on the human dimensions of global environmental change and help contribute to economic development policies in communities.

How communities deal with changing environmental conditions

The world is experiencing unprecedented socio-environmental problems. Climate and social change, political reform and large-scale development have led to rapidly changing global conditions. This has made it critically important to identify, define and effectively govern the complex interdependencies that exist between humans and the natural environment.

Dr. Jackie Dawson, Canada Research Chair in Environment, Society and Policy, is examining resilience in communities where environmental change has resulted in the restructuring and transformation of local economies. Dawson is focusing on communities that are seeing their economies ruined by changing environmental conditions and on communities that are witnessing new economic opportunities due to the changing environment.

Communities in Canada and around the world that rely on vulnerable environmental resources have long been prone to boom or bust economic cycles. These cycles are even more prevalent in today’s era of rapid economic development and globalization. That has made it more important than ever for communities to weigh the pros and cons of development and pay close attention to resilience, adaptation and related economic policy.

Dawson’s research will increase knowledge and reduce the environmental and public safety risks associated with changing environmental and socio-economic conditions in communities.