Geography, Environment and Development
Postgraduate Students
 |
|
Abstract of Research
The gig economy is a recent development in Brunei Darussalam, where individuals use digital platforms to exchange their labor services for payment. Popular gig platforms in Brunei such as Dart and Gomamam facilitate ride-sharing and food-delivery services through mobile apps. The country faces high youth unemployment and rising living costs, making gig platforms attractive for young people seeking employment opportunities and additional income. Advocates of the gig economy emphasize its advantages, including flexible work arrangements, independence, and the ability to achieve work-life balance. However, it is acknowledged that gig work can also be unstable and insecure, with gig workers experiencing financial instability, limited social protection, and risky working conditions. There is a lack of extensive research on the experiences of young gig workers in Brunei, which adds novelty to this study. This research takes a labor geography perspective to explore the lived experiences of Bruneian youths in the gig economy and how they navigate the challenges of precarious working conditions. The research will employ qualitative methods, conducting in-person, semi-structured interviews with approximately 25 young gig workers. Thematic analysis will be used to analyze the gathered data. The expected outcomes of this study aim to provide new insights into the motivations of young people engaging in gig work, the precarity associated with gig work in the context of Brunei, and how these young workers exercise agency to navigate the challenges of precariousness.
Keywords: Gig Economy; Precarious Work; Labour Agency; Youths; Brunei Darussalam
Current Progress of Research
Conducting Fieldwork & Analysis
 |
|
Abstract of Research
Over the past 34 years, from 1988 to 2022, the forest cover in the Belait district has undergone noticeable transformations. These changes can be attributed to both natural occurrences and anthropogenic activities. Monitoring and analysing these changes in forest cover plays a crucial role in effective land management and conservation efforts. Thus, this research aims to examine the patterns of forest cover change in Belait utilising Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing. The research employed a combination of supervised classification and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) approach to extract spatial information and analyse the spatial patterns of forest cover changes in Belait using Landsat images. Multiple Landsat images from different time periods were collected, processed, and analysed using supervised image classification and NDVI to detect changes in forest cover within the Belait district. The results generate processed maps that provide valuable insights into the dynamics and trends of forest cover changes in the Belait district, facilitating informed decision-making for sustainable land management and conservation strategies. The research highlights the significance of integrating GIS and remote sensing in monitoring and analysing forest cover changes and identifying the measures taken to conserve Belait forest cover.
Keywords: Belait district, forest cover changes, GIS, remote sensing, supervised classification, NDVI, forest conservation.
Current Progress of Research
Data Collection, Processing & Analysis
 |
|
Abstract of Research
In recent years, there has been a conspicuous growth in the number of pop-up retail spaces perforating Negara Brunei Darussalam’s urban fabric. These short-term, man-made environments normally occupy countless vacant or underused locations throughout the country’s urban tissue and they are often the handiwork of a partnership between stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Despite its ephemerality, past literature has repeatedly hinted at its underlying ability to leave a myriad of imprints on the community and location it occupies. At the moment, little has been done to study the phenomenon in Negara Brunei Darussalam. This research aims to investigate the different factors driving the growth of pop-up retail spaces in Negara Brunei Darussalam and seeks to understand what impacts it may leave on the area it occupies.
Current Progress of Research
Writing
 |
|
Abstract of Research
The aim for this thesis are to investigate and mapping out the different types of forests that focusing on the seven main types of forests in Brunei Darussalam; Mangrove forest, Beach type forest,Peat swamp forest, Freshwater swamp forest, Kerangas forest, Mixed dipterocarp forest and lastly the Montane forest that has been made through ArcGis Pro to create a layer of the forest cover in Brunei Darussalam. The objectives of my thesis are to analyse and list out any forest products that can be obtained and explain the features of the forest tree species in each forest type in general as well as the uses. My thesis also explained the uses of the forest products based on the local communities' livelihood.
Current Progress of Research
Completed
 |
|
Abstract of Research
In the recent years, the Tutong and Belait districts had been experiencing some of the worst cases of flood due to thunderstorms and heavy downpour leading to overflow of Sungai Tutong. Recently in the month of November, 2022 over 700 people have been affected. The citizens of those places experienced a wide range of fatalities and infrastructure damage. The study's objectives include mapping flood vulnerability and effect analysis. The use of indicator-based methods, curve methods, disaster loss data methods, and modelling approaches were used to assess flood risk and vulnerability. The floods had degraded the economic condition of the area and the process of economic recovery of that area. Though this has been a matter of concern, there is negligible amount of research in this matter. Without a flood risk study, chances to lessen susceptibility can go unnoticed and the effectiveness of development activity might be compromised. This study analyses flood susceptibility and risk in the Tutong and Belait District keeping these worries in mind. The use of theory-driven indicators and GIS-based mapping was made. The application of GIS mapping has been used through any type of data that can be created, managed, analysed, and mapping. GIS links data to a map and combines location information with all kinds of descriptive data. The GIS mapping has shown that the districts do not all experience the same amount of flood risk due to their different levels of sensitivity.
Keywords: Flood Vulnerability Mapping, GIS-based mapping, SRTM data, Satellite Image Tutong, Belait.
Current Progress of Research
Data Analysis & Thesis Writing
 |
|
Abstract of Research
Urban Homesteading refers to cultivating fruits and vegetables by urban dwellers in unutilized public spaces. Urban Homesteading contributes to enhanced urban food security without the need for larger spaces and extensive human resources. In Brunei Darussalam, having a food garden at unutilized public spaces is seen to increase in numbers, especially since the pandemic started. This study aims to understand the motivations driving the increasing number of edible landscapes found in unutilized public spaces.
The objectives include: i) to find out the participants’ motivations behind initiating a food garden, ii) identifying the practices they use, iii) in-depth experiences of gardening, and iv) challenges faced throughout the process . Narrative interviews using semi-structured questionnaires along with location visits will be used to collect data. Targeted participants are those who initiate and tend the food garden. The study area is limited to the Municipal area of Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB), excluding Kampong Ayer. According to the Municipal Board Acts published in 2008, there are over 35 such localities. The research aims to identify thirty Urban Homesteads in total by driving around the localities. The study is expected to provide a thorough understanding of motivations that triggered the respondents to construct these edible landscapes in urban spaces.
Current Progress of Research
Data collection and Analysis