Foreseeing the impact and nature-based management of emerging unprecedented climate extremes on water security in Sub-Saharan Africa
Eligibility: UK/International (including EU) graduates with the required entry requirements
Duration: Full-Time – between three and three and a half years fixed term
Application deadline: 27 May 2025
Interview date: Will be confirmed to shortlisted candidates
Start date: September 2025
For further details contact: Bastien Dieppois
Introduction
Coventry University (CU) is inviting applications from suitably qualified graduates for a fully-funded PhD studentship
Project details
The nature of future climate extremes could be substantially different from any previously recorded events. This is a major challenge in water-reliant sectors, as risk-mitigation and adaptation strategies are currently based on individual experiences of past events, which might not be sufficient in the face of emerging unprecedented climate conditions.
This PhD project aims to develop transdisciplinary approaches to support long-term risk assessment and sustainable adaptation planning in water-reliant sectors in SSA. The project has two objectives, which are addressed in three stages:
- To produce more comprehensive and robust assessments of climate change’s impact on water-reliant sectors. This will be done by: a) assessing plausible future changes in state-of-the-art climate model large-ensembles (Stage-1); b) developing novel hydrological impact modelling experiments (Stage-2).
- To co-develop a framework for identifying climate-resilient Nature-based solutions for flood and drought risks. This will be achieved through a case study, coupling climate-hydrological modelling experiments with participatory consultations with regional stakeholders (Stage-3).
Furthermore, this PhD studentship provides an outstanding opportunity to foster collaborations with international partners and stakeholders, particularly through the UNESCO FRIEND-Water initiative. It also offers a platform to work toward the publication of high-impact journal articles, contributing to advancing knowledge in the field.
Additional requirementship
Funding
Tuition fees and bursary
Benefits
The successful candidate will receive comprehensive research training including technical, personal and professional skills. All researchers at Coventry University (from PhD to Professor) are part of the Doctoral Researcher College, which provides support with high-quality training and career development activities.
Entry requirements
- A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average.
PLUS
- The potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within 3.5 years.
- A minimum of English language proficiency (IELTS academic overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component).
Additional requirements
Desirable:
- Masters degree in a science-based subject area (hydrological and climate sciences)
- Knowledge of African hydrology and climate
- Knowledge of climate change and variability.
- Capacity for critical and independent thinking.
- Experience of hydrological modelling
- Experience of working with climate model output.
- Experience of scientific programming (R, Matlab, Python).
- Experience of working with large data sets.
- Willingness to engage with the wider research community at Coventry University and beyond.
How to apply
All applications require full supporting documentation, a covering letter, plus a 2,000 word supporting statement showing how the applicant’s expertise and interests are relevant to the project.
Please contact for informal enquiries: Bastien Dieppois
