PhD on impacts of changes in the cryosphere of High Mountain Asia on water shortage for irrigated agriculture downstream

Are you interested in the impact of climate change and the melting of snowpacks and glaciers in High Mountain Asia on water availability for food production downstream? And do you like working with numerical models?

A very large part of the agriculture in Asia is supplied by irrigation. Where does this irrigation water come from, and what are the risks associated with the future supply of this irrigation water? Will the melting of glaciers and snowpacks of the Third Pole due to climate change lead to water shortage for agriculture and if so, when and where? And what kind of adaptation measures can secure water availability for agriculture?

Would you like to answer these questions? We are looking for a PhD researcher who is interested in the High Mountains of Asia and their link to the food producing regions that receive water from those mountains. This position is part of the ERC project 3POLE2SEA. The overall goal of the 3POLE2SEA project is to increase the understanding of the links between the water stored in the High Mountains of Asia and the water- and food security of the 1.9 billion people living in the areas downstream of those mountains, now and in the future. This understanding is then used to support adaptation design. Together with another PhD student, 2 Postdocs, a scientific software engineer, and the PI, you will work on the design of adaptation strategies to make agriculture in one of the largest food producing areas in the world more resilient to future changes in the mountains and downstream.

As a PhD student you will apply a cryosphere-hydrology-crop model in the entire study region, consisting of High Mountain Asia and 12 big river basins originating from it. You might also need to develop some new features in the model. You will analyse the origin of water sources for irrigation now and in the future, and also to what extent the water from glacier and snowmelt is of particular importance in dry years.
Subsequently, you will use this knowledge to evaluate different adaptation strategies that aim to secure water availability for agriculture in a changing climate.

You will publish your research findings in high ranking scientific journals and conferences.
You will also be asked to contribute occasionally to education, by helping in the supervision of MSc students that work on their thesis projects, and supporting in courses.

Applications can only be submitted via our institutional website (follow link) and should include (no more than) a cover letter and CV, both uploaded as a pdf.

You are / You have:

• enthusiasm for the research topic;
• a MSc degree in the field of Hydrology, Crop Science, Earth System Science, Environmental Science, Climate Science, or a related field;
• a MSc thesis related to quantitative assessment of water- and/or food security;
• demonstrated enthusiasm and experience to work with large datasets and large-scale numerical modelling in context of global change;
• experience with scripting and programming, eg in R, Python or Matlab and the willingness to learn a new programming language (C);
• creativity in communication and visualisation of model results in maps and figures;
• some experience with numerical modelling on High Performance Computing Platforms is a pre;
• willingness to work in multidisciplinary and internationally teams;
• a high level of English, both oral and written.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Earth Systems and Global Change. . You will be co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Hester Biemans, Prof. Dr. Walter Immerzeel (UU), Dr. Wouter Smolenaars and Dr. Manoj Khaniya.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

For more information about this position, please contact Prof.dr. Hester Biemans (PI 3POLE2SEA project), telephone <0317 486455> or by e-mail: hester.biemans@wur.nl or Dr. Wouter Smolenaars by e-mail: wouter.smolenaars@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, via noorien.abbas@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered. Please upload your CV and motivation / cover letter only, no other documents are required at this stage.

You can apply until 3 March 2025. The first interviews will be scheduled soon after the closing date.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/7g7diEdyeu
Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.