PhD: Vulnerability Of Critical Infrastructure Networks to Coastal Flooding

University of Southampton

Southampton, UK 🇬🇧

About the project

To explore how targeted climate adaptation of critical infrastructure may reduce systemic vulnerability, this studentship will measure and model disruption of transportation networks under increasing extremes in coastal flood hazard, using a novel method for analysing network connectivity.

Critical infrastructure networks including roads, railways, and urban drainage are fundamental to societal functioning, but in low-lying coastal settings these networks are especially vulnerable to disruption by floods. Knowing where and how often the road network of a coastal city, for example, may fail from hazard disruption is valuable information for authorities and planners. However, the systemic vulnerability of infrastructure networks to natural hazard, or how local disruptions may trigger functional failure of the wider network, is still not well understood. 

This studentship will use network analysis and climate-change scenarios to quantify current and potential future infrastructure network vulnerability to coastal flooding; model effects of targeted adaptation interventions into network vulnerability; and gain solutions-oriented insight into vulnerability and adaptation to coastal flood hazard in real infrastructure networks through collaborative knowledge exchange with a diverse group of expert partners. 

Partners anticipate a variety of potential benefits from this research, including: planning for emergency management, flood-management guidance, and reporting for compliance under the Climate Change Act. 

Please contact the lead supervisor if you require further information about the project.

Potential supervisors

Lead supervisor

Dr Eli Lazarus

Associate Professor

Research interests
  • coastal and fluvial dynamics
  • geomorphology
  • human-environmental coupled systems

Supervisors

Dr Sien Van Der Plank PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Research interests
  • Multi-scale analysis using mixed methods of coastal flood risk management across policy domains, organisational stakeholders and households.
  • Risk attitudes and behaviours to the natural environment in relation to perceived, expected and experienced social and physical changes.
  • Mixed methods analysis of the form and evolution of stakeholder perceptions toward mining, expected impacts of mining, and experiences of consultation process.

Professor Simon Blainey PhD, FRGS, FHEA, MCIHT, CMILT

Professor of Sustainable Transport

Research interests
  • Rail demand and operations modelling
  • GIS and transport
  • Transport decision support systems

Entry requirements

You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree or higher in a relevant subject. 

You can also have its international equivalent.

International applications

If English is not your first language, you will need an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components.

Visit our English language proficiency pages to find out about other qualifications we accept.

Fees and funding

For UK students, tuition fees and a stipend of £15,285 tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years.

How to apply

Apply now

You need to:

  • choose programme type (Research), 2025/26, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
  • choose PhD in Ocean and Earth Science FLOOD CDT (full time)
  • add the project title under ‘Topic or field of research proposed’
  • add your supervisor in section 2

Applications should include:

  • a 1 page statement of your research interests in flooding and FLOOD-CDT and your rationale for your choice of project
  • a CV (resumé) giving details of your academic record and stating your research interests
  • name two current academic referees together with institutional email addresses (on submission of your online application your referees will be automatically emailed requesting they send a reference to us directly by email)
  • academic transcripts and degree certificates (translated if not in English) – if you have completed both a BSc and an MSc, we require both
  • an IELTS/TOEFL certificate, if applicable.

Contact us

Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences

If you have a general question, email our doctoral college: fels-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk.

Project leader

For project specific queries, email the lead supervisor Dr Eli Lazarus: e.d.Lazarus@soton.ac.uk.


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

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