Michael Roarty

Michael Roarty
B.A. (Hons) NUI Galway (2007)
P.G.D.E. (Hons) NUI Galway (2009)
Room 114, Department of Geography
Email: m.roarty1nuigalway.ie
Phone: 00353 91 492665

Biography

Coming from the small coastal village of Gortahork in NW county Donegal, Michael was surrounded by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Derryveagh Mountain range from an early age and as a result of this he developed a strong interest in geography, and in particular the discipline’s more physical aspects. Michael graduated from NUI, Galway in 2007 with a B.A. (Hons.) degree in Geography and Information Technology. Upon completion of the B.A. Michael began working for Iarnrod Eireann in Ceannt Station, Galway before finally returning to NUI Galway in 2008 to undertake the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). As a requirement for completion of this course, Michael taught Geography and ICT in the Rosses Community School, Dungloe and it was during this period that his true love for physical geography, and in particular coastal environments, was rekindled. Having graduated from the PGDE with a first class honours in 2009, Michael decided to return to the geography department under the supervision of Dr. Kevin Lynch and embark on a structured Ph.D. programme focusing his research in the management of coastal environments.

Research Interests

Michael’s main research interests lie in the area of coastal zones. Within this broad topic, a particular interest is situated within the management of coastal zones, particularly in relation to the implications of climate change. Other areas of interest include coastal processes and the use of GIS in environmental management.

Current Research

The implications of climate change on coastal zones and degree of adaptive management
Supervisor: Dr. Kevin Lynch

This research project will explore the coastal risks linked to climate change and investigate the degree to which decision makers in these zones consider these risks. Sea-level-rise, increased frequency of storms and their severity, loss of habitat and changes in the global ocean circulation are some of the risks that are attributed to climate change and will impact directly on coastal zones. For this reason, it is imperative that these coastal risks are considered, and more importantly implemented into the management of coastal zones by decision makers. A set of eight principles is contained within the European Recommendation (2002) on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM), however these principles do not constitute best practice and are often overlooked by decision makers, resulting in ad-hoc decisions being employed for the management of our coastal zones. Within this research project, an emphasis will be placed on planning decisions and a central aim of this project is to investigate the degree in which coastal risks, attributed to climate change, are implemented into the local planning process.
 
Michael is also involved with Dr. Kevin Lynch and Prof. Micheal O’ Cinneide (both staff from the NUIG Geography Department) in the Atlantic Network for COastal RIsk Management (ANCORIM) project, a European Regional Development Funded initiative. This project is a coalition of several European partners focusing on strengthening the operational capacity of decision-makers in Atlantic regions, with the aim of preventing coastal risks and in particular those linked to climate change. This project supplements Michael’s own research project.

Selected Readings:

Cicin-Sain B and Knecht R. (1998) Integrated coastal and ocean management: concepts and practices. Washington D.C., Island Press

Cooper, J.A.G. and McKenna, J. (2008) Working with natural processes: the challenge for coastal protection strategies. The Geographical Journal, 174 (4), 315-331

Devoy, R. (2008) Coastal Vulnerability and the Implications of Sea-Level Rise for Ireland . Journal of Coastal Research, 24(2), 325-341

French, P.W. (2004) The changing nature of, and approaches to, UK coastal management at the start of the twenty-first century. The Geographical Journal, 170 (2), 116-125

McKenna, J., Cooper, A. and O’Hagan, A. (2008) Managing by principle: A critical analysis of the European principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). Science Direct, 32, 941-955

National Research Council, (1995) Science, Policy and the Coast: Improving Decision-Making. Washington D.C., National Academy Press

O’Connor, M.C., Cooper, J.A.G. and McKenna, J., (2009) Integrating science into shoreline management practice and policy: an Irish perspective. Journal of Coastal Research, 56, pg-pg