Living Lands & The Four Returns Development Company
Post-Graduate Research Students: Water Sector
Background
Living Lands and the Four Returns Development Company are private social benefit organisations working with stakeholders in the western catchments (Kromme, Kouga and Baviaanskloof river catchments) that supply most of the current water resources to Port Elizabeth.
We will be working with the Water Research Commission over the next three years on a participatory hydrological model building project for these catchments. This model will be developed in collaboration with a company called Nelen and Schuurmans from the Netherlands who have developed very effective online 3Di spatial hydrological models. This is a stakeholder engagement project that will make use of the model building process to create a safe social space to learn and engage with one another and begin creating a willingness to work together. We expect that this will enable the participants to consider how they are contributing to the current water problems and begin exploring individually and collectively what they need to change. Once developed we intend to use the model with the stakeholders to explore the potential impacts of various management options and identify acceptable policy options and actions.
Invitation to apply:
Living Lands is inviting post-graduate South African students to collaborate with us on this project and use it to further their studies. There are 2-3 bursary opportunities for hydrological and social science post graduate students at Honours, Masters and PhD levels. Living Lands can also provide additional support for collaborating students with travel and accommodation in the study area. Any interested students should contact Maura Talbot of Living Lands, at maura@livinglands.co.za or Cell: 072 3860537 to submit their CV and motivating letter explaining their research interest. Fluency in English and Afrikaans is recommended. Applications from historically disadvantaged social groups are particularly welcome.
Deadline for Applications is the 31 January 2016.
