Mohammed VI Polytechnic University

International Water Research Institute (IWRI)

Position Announcement PhD Student

Position Title: Integrated Management of Drought in Morocco: Occurrence, Impacts and Adaptation

Description:

Climate change impacts are associated with loss of lives and destruction of property. The impacts are high in developing countries that rely on rainfed agricultural systems to sustain their livelihoods and grow their economies. It is a growing concern that the change in climate is likely to cause an increase in frequency and intensity of extreme climate events. One of the notable climate extremes in Morocco is drought. The occurrence of drought in an already water scarce country, like  Morocco, increases stress on water resources management, causing varying impacts such as lack of fresh water for human and animal use, destruction of the ecosystem and saltwater intrusion at the coastlines.

There is need to understand and address these challenges for sustainable socio-economic development. The occurrence, impacts and hence, the management of droughts is complex, calling for an integrated approach. The outcome of this research will help in building resilience of communities and the environment around flood prone areas.

Key duties:

The PhD candidate will:

1. Take part in scientific research that will culminate in a doctoral thesis.
2. Engage in relevant research activities (e.g., workshops, conferences) in and out of the IWRI/UM6P.
3. Disseminate results of the doctoral thesis as papers through high impact journals, conferences presentations and social media engagements.

The specific research activities of the student will include:

1. Analysis of spatiotemporal variability of drought across Morocco.
2. Mapping and analysis of drought prone areas, livelihoods and ecosystem vulnerability to drought hazard.
3. Evaluation of both monetary and non-monetary value of water resources and impacts of drought.
4. Projection of droughts and impacts on water resources based on future dynamics using model simulations.
5.  Formulating adaptation measures to impacts of droughts in the water sector and its value chain (e.g. supply, and storage).

Criteria of the candidate:   

The candidate should have:

1. A master’s degree in any of the following areas: Meteorology, Civil Engineering, Geography, Environment, Hydrology or Water Resources Management.
2. Fieldwork experience and handling household, remote sensing and climate data
3. Good interpersonal and communication skills.
4. Team player
5. Evidence of publishing peer reviewed papers will be an added advantage.

Skills:   

The candidate should have strong skills in data collection, analysis, and report writing. Programming  skills and use various analysis tools such as R, Python, MATLAB, GrADS, and CDO is vital.