About the Project
Agriculture is the largest sectoral user of freshwater globally (UN, 2018). Yet, most countries do not monitor the amount of water used by farmers (Foster et al., 2020). These monitoring gaps create the enabling conditions for illegal or unregulated water use (Felbab-Brown, 2017; Schmidt et al., 2020) that negatively affect the availability of water for other users and the environment, exacerbating water insecurity, hindering economic development, and causing long-lasting damage to freshwater ecosystems (Zipper et al., 2019; Loch et al., 2020).
Evidence suggests that >50% of global water supplies may be abstracted illegally (Interpol, 2016). However, there has not yet been any attempt to systematically assess or characterise water theft, and we do not fully understand the underlying drivers or how water management policies could address water theft. In the context of these major problems, this PhD project will identify the prevalence, drivers, and solutions to illegal water use by agriculture in water scarce regions. The main objectives will be:
• Developing a global database of water theft events, by systematic review of secondary data sources (e.g. media archives, policy documents, legal reports). A combination of manual and automated approaches will be used to synthesize key information about the location, timing, characteristics, and reported drivers of water theft.
• Characterising regulatory responses to water theft using interviews and surveys to understand how agricultural water rights are enforced and identify best practices in deterring water theft. The location of these ‘deep dive’ investigations is likely to include case studies in countries such as UK, Spain, and the United States (Acreman and Salathe, 2022; Dillis et al., 2023) through remote fieldwork supported by the supervisory teams networks of existing collaborators.
• Developing agent-based models that characterise farmers’ decisions around compliance with water use regulations in the presence of different exogenous drivers (e.g., drought) and penalty systems (e.g., fines, spot checks). These models will be parameterised for one of the selected deep-dive study areas (from phase 2) and used to quantify how different water use monitoring and compliance strategies available to regulators influence farmers’ water use choices (including around regulatory compliance).
This research will result in multiple high-impact papers (e.g., Water Resources Research, Nature Water, Environmental Research Letters). The final six months of the project (Months 37-42) are reserved for write up and submission of the thesis.
As part of the PhD, you will be embedded within both the Agriculture, Water and Climate Research Group ((www.ag-water.weebly.com – Foster) and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change research (Hoolohan). These groups will provide opportunities to engage with leading teams of interdisciplinary researchers working on issues of agricultural sustainability, water management and climate adaptation in the UK and internationally.
Eligibility
Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent). The project would be ideally suited with an interest in applied interdisciplinary research at the interface of environmental science and policy, and we will therefore consider candidates from a range of academic backgrounds including social science, natural science, and engineering related degrees.
Funding
At Manchester we offer a range of scholarships, studentships and awards at university, faculty and department level, to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers applying for competition and self-funded projects.
For more information, visit our funding page or search our funding database for specific scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.
Before you apply
We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisor(s) for this project before you apply. For informal enquiries about the project, please contact the lead supervisor Dr Tim Foster via email (timothy.foster@manchester.ac.uk)
How to apply
Apply online through our website: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-fap
When applying, you’ll need to specify the full name of this project, the name of your supervisor, if you already having funding or if you wish to be considered for available funding through the university, details of your previous study, and names and contact details of two referees.
Your application will not be processed without all of the required documents submitted at the time of application, and we cannot accept responsibility for late or missed deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
After you have applied you will be asked to upload the following supporting documents:
- Final Transcript and certificates of all awarded university level qualifications
- Interim Transcript of any university level qualifications in progress
- CV
- Supporting statement: A one or two page statement outlining your motivation to pursue postgraduate research and why you want to undertake postgraduate research at Manchester, any relevant research or work experience, the key findings of your previous research experience, and techniques and skills you’ve developed. (This is mandatory for all applicants and the application will be put on hold without it).
- Contact details for two referees (please make sure that the contact email you provide is an official university/work email address as we may need to verify the reference)
- English Language certificate (if applicable)
If you have any questions about making an application, please contact our admissions team by emailing FSE.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.
We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.
We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles. We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder).
Funding Notes
This 3.5 year project has joint funding from the Department of Fluids and Environment and the Department of Engineering for Sustainability; the funding is for home students only and covers tuition fees and a tax free annual stipend set at the UKRI rate (£19,237 for 2024/25).
If you are overseas, please contact the supervisor. At The University of Manchester, we offer a range of scholarships, studentships and awards at university, faculty and department level, to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers. Please see the project description for further details.
References
• Acreman & Salathe (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01836-6
• Dillis et al. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/acb6d5
• Felbab-Brown (2017). Water Theft and Water Smuggling: Growing Problem or Tempest in a Teapot?
• Foster et al. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR028378
• Interpol. (2016). Strategic Report: Environment, Peace and Security – A Convergence of Threats.
• Loch et al. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0589-3
• Schmidt et al. (2020). How to tackle illegal water abstractions: taking stock of experience and lessons learned.
• United Nations (UN) (2018). World Water Development Report 2018.
• Zipper et al. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ab534d
