About the Project
Recent work in Odisha, India by the two supervisors (Dash and Tompkins) has highlighted the crushing impact on agricultural rural households of chronic poverty, social-cultural systems and repeated cycles of damaging natural hazards (Duncan et al., 2017a). They have further identified little evidence of improved adaptive capacity of farmers to natural hazards over the last 40 years (Duncan et al., 2017b). The impact is a poverty trap that few, if any, households are able to escape. This is despite the presence of well-established social safety net programmes, such as the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) offering 100 days paid ‘public works’ labour a year, and the Public Distribution System, offering low price basic provisions, all for those acknowledged as ‘Below the Poverty Line’. Previous work in the area has highlighted that both land use and government policy towards land use and land tenure influenced people’s choices in Odisha. What remains unclear is why small scale agriculture has been and continues to be unsustainable. The aim of this research is investigate why and to what extent households in Odisha are choosing to allow land to become barren, and what this means for future sustainability of agriculture in Odisha? The project uses mixed methods, combining remotely sensed data and in-depth interviews with rural agricultural households to understand the extent of problem and decision processes that lead to land becoming barren. The project benefits from the supervisors experience and contacts in the Mahanadi. Tompkins (co-I ‘DECCMA’, 2014-2018) has been researching adaptation options in four developing country deltas, including Mahanadi, to understand the policy options that exist and the adaptation choices that households make in response to climate and weather hazards.. Dash (PI ‘PREFUS’. 2014-2016) explored the pathways to resilience for rice farmers in the Mahanadi Delta, identifying the key finding that at present, rice farming is not a viable livelihood due to a variety of externally driven pressures
The ECaS research group focusses on climate change impacts and adaptation, sustainability science, and global environmental monitoring including innovative use of Earth observation data, including Earth system science. We have a world-leading reputation for research on climate change impacts and adaptation strategies, with lead authorships in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment report.
Candidates must have or expect to gain a first or strong upper second class degree, in an appropriate discipline, not necessarily Geography. Details on how to apply are available from Julie Drewitt, email [Email Address Removed]. Informal enquiries may be made to Jadu Dash (email [Email Address Removed]). For the latest information see http://www.southampton.ac.uk/geography/postgraduate/research_degrees/studentships.page?
Funding Notes
The PhD project will commence September 2019.
This is one of a range of topics currently being advertised. Funding will go to the project(s) with the best applicant(s). The studentship is to be funded at UKRI level, currently £14,777 per annum, with an RTSG of £750. The studentship will fully support British and EU nationals only. International students can apply but they must be able to meet the difference between home/EU and International tuition fees themselves.