About the Project
This trans-disciplinary project offers a unique opportunity to make a real difference to Scotland’s evidence base for climate change adaptation and to develop highly desirable specialist and transferable skills for a rewarding future career in the academic and environmental sectors. Alongside programming and data handling skills, the successful applicant will develop a wide-ranging environmental understanding in Catchment Science and integrate this in user-friendly decision support tools. You will have the opportunity to develop extensive professional networks, will be encouraged to take ownership of the project and work independently to influence the direction of the research. The project will suit a graduate in a relevant science discipline (environmental science, hydrology, agricultural science or similar) with a strong aptitude for applied mathematical modelling.
Water pollution remains the main reason for the failure of many Scottish waterbodies to reach Good Ecological Status under the Water Framework Directive. UK Climate Projections 2018 indicate that Scotland’s climate will become warmer, with drier summers, wetter winters and increased occurrence of extreme events, including droughts and intense rainfall. Understanding the likely impact of this profound environmental change on Scotland’s water quality is critical to facilitate planning for effective, resilient actions to prevent future water quality deterioration and to climate-proof current mitigation efforts. However, understanding the potential impacts of such changes is extremely challenging and can not be done in isolation. The associated climate induced land use change will also have a significant impact on water quality, with the potential for both large-scale social and economic consequences. For example, the projected increase in rainfall driven erosion as rainfall intensity increases could lead to increased transfer of pollutants and sediment, while increasing water temperature could affect the in-stream biochemical processes and ecological functions, including salmon survival. Studies addressing these complex issues at a scale useful for Scottish decision makers are scarce, and the likely impacts and future sustainability of current mitigation efforts are poorly understood.
This project will:
• evaluate the effectiveness and resilience of water quality mitigation measures under changing environment in the context of changing climate, society, agricultural production and land-use in the near and medium-term;
• consider the likely interacting effects of the above multiple drivers;
• evaluate multiple ecosystem benefits and trade-offs between available mitigation measures for water quality and other ecosystem services (e.g. food production/soil carbon/biodiversity).
The project will evaluate the potential impact of societal and environmental change on water quality within a trans-disciplinary framework, involving both environmental and social scientists, land-use and water quality modellers. The student will benefit from access to trans-disciplinary expertise at the University of Dundee and James Hutton Institute, and will build on available research outputs. A suite of mathematical models, including a process-based model HYPE, will be deployed to model future water quality under different climate and land-use scenarios. Bayesian Belief Networks will then be used to construct a risk-based model that will integrate the output from process-based environmental modelling with softer data, including stakeholder and expert opinion, to explore complex socio-economic scenarios and plausible mitigation actions within a trans-disciplinary framework.
For informal enquiries about the project, contact Dr Sarah Halliday ([Email Address Removed])
For general enquiries about the University of Dundee, contact [Email Address Removed]
QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must have obtained, or expect to obtain, a first or 2.1 UK honours degree, or equivalent for degrees obtained outside the UK in a relevant discipline.
English language requirement: IELTS (Academic) score must be at least 6.5 (with not less than 5.5 in each of the four components). Other, equivalent qualifications will be accepted. Full details of the University’s English language requirements are available online: www.dundee.ac.uk/guides/english-language-requirements.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Step 1: Email Dr Sarah Halliday ([Email Address Removed]) to (1) send a copy of your CV and (2) discuss your potential application and any practicalities (e.g. suitable start date).
Step 2: After discussion with Dr Halliday, formal applications can be made via UCAS Postgraduate. When applying, please follow the instructions below:
Apply for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Geography & Environmental Science: https://digital.ucas.com/coursedisplay/courses/651b79ea-0e62-f7f8-670c-1a58ebc93e70. Select the start date and study mode (full-time/part-time) agreed with the lead supervisor.
In the ‘provider questions’ section of the application form:
- Write the project title and ‘FindAPhD.com’ in the ‘if your application is in response to an advertisement’ box;
- Write the lead supervisor’s name and give brief details of your previous contact with them in the ‘previous contact with the University of Dundee’ box.
In the ‘personal statement’ section of the application form, outline your suitability for the project selected.
Continue with Facebook
