School of Earth and Environment

Sustainability Research (SRI) PhD Projects

Transforming water scarcity through trading - agricultural water use and farm economics

Application Deadline: 4 September 2011

Duration of award: 3 years
Supported by EPSRC a studentship up to £13,950 p.a. for 3 years plus UK/EU fees* is available

University of Leeds is seeking a self-motivated, innovative and flexible graduate to undertake an exciting research project which aims to identify the value of water for agriculture in space and time, and to assess the opportunities for trading water to best resolve water scarcity issues.

Water scarcity is widespread and increasing worldwide. Climate change, population growth and increased water demand require a dynamic reallocation of the water resources. More flexibility in transferring, sharing and/or trading water resources would reward increased efficiency, increase the benefit from existing sources by encouraging transfers to higher value users, and encourage the development of the most economical new supply options, but also raises potential issues of management and environmental risks.

This project is part of a larger EPSRC funded research project which aims to resolve the increasing water scarcity problems in the UK. The student will work within a multi-disciplinary project team involving academics and postgraduate researchers from Leeds, Cranfield and Herriot-Watt Universities and University College London. After a review of trading experiences worldwide, the team will investigate the potential for trading in selected UK catchments, using a market simulator, stakeholder interviews and modeling. Visit the EPSRC website for more details of the overall project. Further PhD studentships in the project are advertised on the Cranfield and Herriot-Watt websites.

This Leeds PhD will inform the market simulator by developing economic benefit functions for agricultural water use. Farm decision-making regarding crops grown, land management practices, on-farm water storage and abstraction license trading needs to be considered in establishing a dynamic opportunity cost of water. Once the simulation model is up and running, gaming simulations to derive probabilities for actual trading and exploration of the concept of payment for (agricultural) ecosystem services are possibilities to develop. Fieldwork in the selected catchments, input into the larger research team, and travel to team meetings in the UK will be required. This PhD also comes with funding for a case study abroad to establish the transferability of the model and development relevance of the research.

The student will be based at University of Leeds in the Sustainability Research Institute. The Institute conducts internationally recognised, academically excellent and problem-oriented research and teaching on environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability.

Entry Requirements
Applicants should have completed an EPSRC-recognised Master’s Degree or appropriate research training programme in a related subject. The ideal candidate will have an understanding of agricultural water management and/or agricultural economics. Good numeracy, analytical and IT skills will be essential, but the student will also need the skills and willingness to interact with the stakeholders in the study catchments in the UK and case study abroad. An MSc qualification, GIS skills and/or relevant work experience in a relevant area will be an advantage.

How to apply:
To apply please click here to complete a formal application on-line. Please provide supporting documents: CV, covering letter, transcripts and degree certificates of all degrees to date.
For more information on this opportunity, please contact Dr Luuk Fleskens (l.fleskens(at)leeds.ac.uk).
For further information on the application process, Michelle Lesnianski (m.lesnianski(at)leeds.ac.uk).

Funding Notes:
*Supported by an EPSRC bursary this studentship will cover the tuition fees at the UK/EU rate only and provide a bursary of up to £13,950 p.a. for three years. All EU nationals are eligible to receive a fees-only award if they do not have ‘settled status’ in the UK. All non-EU nationals are very unlikely to be eligible for this funding under the Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations 1997.
For full details about eligibility please visit: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PostgraduateTraining/StudentEligibility.htm