The position is externally funded by the Stockholm Environment Institute.
 
Project description
In the research where this PhD project is embedded we advance the understanding on the role of freshwater for social-ecological resilience in agricultural landscapes, from local to global scales.

This inter- and transdisciplinary research links global environmental change, analyses of rainfall partitioning across scales and water governance and management strategies for improved water resilience. The PhD project will combine resilience theory, catchment hydrology, and spatial water modeling, with analyses of water resource management in agriculture landscapes.

The research will explore water induced social-ecological tipping-points, upstream-downstream water implications of intensified water resource use, and strategies for sustainable water management.
 
Two key research questions will be addressed in the PhD project. Under the growing pressure from multiple cross-scale drivers of social (e.g., food demand) and environmental change (e.g., climate change) (i) what are the risks of water induced tipping points in agricultural landscapes? And (ii) how can social-ecological water resilience be enhanced in agricultural landscapes, from small catchments to river basin scales, as a strategy to adapt and transform under rapid global change?

Methodologically the research will combine empirical field research at catchment scale, with hydrological modeling and spatial analysis.
 
This research will focus on field research in a tropical river basin in Africa, and will be carried out in collaboration with the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University.
 
We are looking for an analytically skilled person with a background in any of the areas of hydrology, agricultural sciences, physics, or theoretical ecology, with a relevant high-level university degree.
 
Furthermore, knowledge of any or several of the following methods and tools will be highly valuated: SWAT modeling (or other spatial hydrological modeling), GIS (Geographical Information Systems), computer programming (java, perl, python, C#, C++, etc.), numerical- and statistical analysis (Matlab, R, etc.).
 
Criteria for evaluation
- Excellence in hydrological analyses, mathematical analyses, computer simulations, programming
- Knowledge in GIS and spatial modelling
- Experiences of scientific work relevant for the work position
 
Terms of employment
This is a full time position. The salary is set according to the University standard for graduate students. The applicant must also be formally accepted as a graduate student to qualify for this position.

The position will, at most, last for five years (however no longer than the equivalence of four year full time studies). The position needs to be renewed after the first year, and the renewal will last up to two years; then to be followed by another renewal.

The applicant will be evaluated based on his/her ability to fulfill the graduate study program. A successful applicant shall spend most of his/her time on the graduate studies. No more than 20% of a full time equivalent can be used for teaching and/or administrative work at the department.
 
More information about the position can be obtained by contacting Dr. Louise Karlberg, Stockholm Resilience Centre, +46 8 674 7200 or +46 73 707 85 43, louise.karlberg@stockholmresilience.su.se or Prof.Johan Rockström, +46 8 674 72 00, johan.rockstrom@stockholmresilience.su.se
 
General information can be given by the head of the department Nils Kautsky, +46 8 16 42 51, nils@ecology.su.se.

Union representatives are Bo Ekengren, SACO, Lars-Åke Säll/ST-ATF and Mikael Stenberg /SEKO, + +46 8 16 20 00.

Further information on the web
Stockholm University
The Department of Systems Ecology

The handbook for postgraduate students