For more than 50 years, UW has been home to one of the top ranked geography departments in Canada. Geography at Waterloo engages in scholarly research and education through the study of physical and human environments from local to global scales. Whether it is finding solutions to the climate emergency, understanding the relationship between economy and society, analyzing change in our physical environment, or developing novel technologies to better map our world, Geography bridges the social sciences (human geography), environmental information technologies (geomatics), and the natural sciences (physical geography) to find sustainable solutions to the problems that face our planet.
We also offer the only Geography and Aviation Bachelors degree in the world that provides professional flight training and develops student understanding of sustainable aviation.
If you are interested in a deep-rooted discipline that offers hands-on training, quantitative and qualitative skills development, and an integrative perspective needed to tackle the toughest contemporary environmental and sustainability challenges, you have come to the right place. The Department of Geography and Environmental Management (GEM) offers undergraduate degrees in:
- Geography and Environmental Management (B.E.S.)
- Geomatics (B.E.S.)
- Climate and Environmental Change (B.Sc.)
- Geography and Aviation (B.E.S.)
and graduate degrees/diplomas in:
- Masters of Climate Change degree (M.C.C.)
- Graduate Diploma in CLimate Risk Management (G.Dip)
- Masters research degrees (M.E.S., M.A., M.Sc.)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).
GEM's Research Reputation
GEM program ranked in top five Environmental Studies programs by MacLeans magazine, April 1 2025
Geography and Aviation
Geomatics
Events
GEM Seminar Series
Topic: Making a home in Waterloo: international student families and housing insecurity
Speaker: Dr. Nancy Worth, with Dr. Alkim Karaagac
Location: EV3 1408
Our two-year case study in Waterloo, Ontario—a city known for its purpose-built student housing—reveals that international student families face distinct challenges in the local housing market. While all students contend with high housing costs, families struggle to find suitable accommodations in a market dominated by single-student units. International student families must also navigate unfamiliar rental processes with limited institutional support, as higher education institutions typically consider off-campus housing beyond their remit. Although international students are often blamed for housing affordability issues, our findings indicate they are among the housing crisis’ most vulnerable groups.
GEM Seminar Series
Topic: Exploring Amplification Pathways of Nature-Based Climate Solutions in Canadian cities
Speaker: Kayne Boyall (MSc student supervised by Dr. Sarah Burch)
Location: EV3 1408
Cities are increasingly central sites of climate action, amid compounding biodiversity and economic crises. Yet efforts to transform urban systems remain constrained by path dependency, indeterminacy, and shifting priorities. Nature-based climate solutions (NBCS) have gained prominence for their capacity to “multi-solve” by mitigating emissions, addressing climate risks, enhancing biodiversity, and delivering social–ecological co-benefits. Despite this promise, urban NBCS in Canada often remain confined to small-scale pilots and disconnected demonstration projects, limiting their transformative potential.
This research examines how NBCS can move beyond pilots to be amplified within broader systems of urban governance and transformation. Drawing on 20 semi-structured interviews with NBCS practitioners and governance experts alongside planning and policy documents in comparative case study of Vancouver, BC and Halifax, NS, this study maps distinct but interrelated pathways of amplification along with the actors, enabling conditions, and catalysts shaping the growth of NBCS initiatives. Particular attention is given to how institutional and organizational contexts influence the stability, diversity, and prioritization of co-benefits. The findings inform efforts to design, govern, grow and sustain NBCS in support of just, low-carbon and resilient urban futures.
News
Matthew Woodward made Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Following extensive and ongoing involvement with the International Geography Olympiad and the Canadian Geographic Challenge, Matthew Woodward has been named a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), a great honour for any geographer.
Congratulations, Matthew, on this amazing accolade. We look forward to following how you continue making a difference and influencing the next generation of young geographers.
Congratulations, Vanier Scholars
Congratulations to Richard Adeleke and Satveer Dhillon, who have been awarded Vanier Scholarships.
More detail about their research and goals can be found here.
We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to see where their work will lead.
Dr Daniel Scott appointed University Professor
Congratulations Dr. Scott on this impressive honour!
Conferred by the University of Waterloo, this rare and prestigious recognition celebrates professors of international acclaim for their exceptional scholarly contributions.
Dr. Scott has been instrumental in designing, directing, and teaching climate change courses and programs at Waterloo, advising on climate programming at other universities, and supervising graduate students who have become leaders in their own right.
The University of Waterloo owes much of its international reputation and stature to the quality of its eminent professors and recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement and international pre-eminence through the designation 'University Professor'. Once appointed, a faculty member retains the designation until retirement.