Simron Singh

Professor and University Research Chair
Simron Singh

Contact Information
simron.singh@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 43111
EV3 4227

Personal Page
ResearchGate

Simron J. Singh is a Professor and University Research Chair (URC) in the Faculty of Environment. Using the analogy that islands function like living organisms, he conducts socio-metabolic research to evaluate how small island economies utilize (or metabolize) materials, energy, water, and infrastructure. He investigates why and how these consumption patterns (or island metabolism) may accumulate “socio-metabolic risk” over time that increase their susceptibility to the challenges of climate change. He further analyzes how island economies can transition to a more sustainable, circular resource-use model, thereby bolstering their overall resilience to the impact of climate change. His research partnerships span island nations in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Asia-Pacific regions. He is the founder and lead of the research program “Metabolism of Islands”, the Executive Secretary of the International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE), chairs the inaugural board of Island Industrial Ecology within ISIE, and co-chairs Risk-KAN, a global research and action network of Future Earth, Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), the World Weather Research Program (WWRP), and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). For a full list of publications, please visit Prof. Singhs ResearchGate page.

Courses Taught

  • INDEV 607
  • INDEV 609

Selected Publications

  • Martin del Campo, F., Singh, S. J., Fishman, T., Thomas, A., Noll, D., & Drescher, M. (2023). Can a small island nation build resilience? The significance of resource-use patterns and socio-metabolic risks in The Bahamas. Journal of Industrial Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13369
  • Singh, S. J., Huang, T., Nagabhatla, N., Schweizer, P.-J., Eckelman, M., Verschuur, J., & Soman, R. (2022). Socio-metabolic risk and tipping points on islands. Environmental Research Letters, 17(6), 065009. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac6f6c
  • Rahman, S., Singh, S.J., & McCordic, C. (2022). Can the Caribbean localize its food system? Evidence from biomass flow accounting. Journal of Industrial Ecology, pg. 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13241
  • Bahers, J.-B., Singh, S.J, & Durand, M. (2022). Analyzing Socio-Metabolic Vulnerability: Evidence from the Comoros Archipelago. Anthropocene Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44177-022-00017-1
  • Mohammadi, E., Singh, S. J., McCordic, C., & Pittman, J. (2022). Food Security Challenges and Options in the Caribbean: Insights from a Scoping Review. Anthropocene Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44177-021-00008-8
  • Singh, S.J., Talwar, S., Shenoy, M. (2021). Why socio-metabolic studies are central to ecological economics? Ecology, Economy, and Society – the INSEE Journal
  • Noll, D., Lauk, C., Haas, W., Singh, S. J., Petridis, P., & Wiedenhofer, D. (2021). The sociometabolic transition of a small Greek island: Assessing stock dynamics, resource flows, and material circularity from 1929 to 2019. Journal of Industrial Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13206
  • Mohammadi, E., Singh, S. J., & Habib, K. (2021). How big is circular economy potential on Caribbean islands considering e-waste? Journal of Cleaner Production, 317, 128457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128457
  • Mohammadi, E., Singh, S.J., Habib, K. (2021). Electronic waste in the Caribbean: An impending environmental disaster or an opportunity for a circular economy? Resources, Conservation and Recycling 164. 105106. Elsevier.
  • Elgie, A., Singh S.J., Telesford, J. (2021). You can't manage what you can't measure: The potential for circularity in Grenada's waste management system. Resources, Conversation and Recycling, 164. 105170. Elsevier.

Degrees

  • Ph.D - Human Ecology, Lund University, Sweden
  • M.A. - Ecology & Environment, Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment, India
  • B.A. - English, University of Delhi, India