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Student gains bursary for Fiji eco-project
15 December 2010
A University of the Sunshine Coast student who spent three weeks in Fiji examining coastal zone management and climate change almost got more than she bargained for when a tropical cyclone threatened.
Amy Lalonde, 26, of Alexandra Headland, said a cyclone warning was in full force for the South Pacific island for several days before the depression dissipated.
Ms Lalonde, a psychology graduate from Canada now studying a USC Master of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, presented her preliminary report to supervisors on campus last week, just days after returning.
Her report recommends that Fiji establish a body to better manage water and land uses in the flood-prone and degraded Suva Lagoon catchment.
Ms Lalonde was delighted to receive a $4,000 bursary from Sunshine Coast civil engineering firm Hall Contracting to conduct the study.
The University’s Dr Gayle Mayes, who supervised part of Ms Lalonde’s trip, said it was one of the first donor-funded projects sending a USC student overseas.
“Hall Contracting has been doing river dredging work for the Fijian Government and wanted to further support USC projects that benefited the region,” Dr Mayes said.
“Amy did a fantastic job over there, collaborating with the University of the South Pacific in what will become a combined, extended research project.”
Ms Lalonde said she focused on the proactive side such as reforesting, compared to the reactive side of removing sediment from rivers by dredging.
“I’m grateful to Hall Contracting for giving me the opportunity to continue my research in the South Pacific because I learned a tremendous amount,” she said.
“Using a case study area such as the Suva Lagoon enables me to examine how human activities impact vulnerability to flooding and other climate change risks, which I can also transfer to areas such as the Sunshine Coast.”
USC Associate Professor and Program Leader Shireen Fahey said integrated coastal zone management was a growing field with increasing jobs and research demand in the Asia-Pacific region.
Ms Lalonde, who does volunteer work with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said she hoped to continue her passion for studying the marine environment by doing a PhD.
– Julie Gatehouse