Sustainable Transitions – Implementation of the Human Right to Water – Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme 2026-27
Details
Project area title: Implementation of the Human Right to Water
Course: Applicants wanting to undertake this research project should apply for a PhD in Law
Funding: The University of Essex is offering two Masters plus PhD research scholarships for students to participate in a range of Sustainable Transitions DTP projects.
Overview
This is an opportunity for a person from an underrepresented group to undertake a fully funded masters degree followed by a fully funded interdisciplinary PhD under the ‘Sustainable Transitions – Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme’ at the University of Essex.
Only UK domiciled applicants who do not already have a Master’s degree and who meet the following criteria may apply:
- Be from a low-income household background as evidenced by, for example, being in receipt of a full maintenance loan or Special Support loan during their undergraduate studies.
and/or
Be one of the following categories of ethnicity:
- Black African
- Black Caribbean
- Black Other
- Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
- Mixed – White and Black African
- Other mixed background (including Black African, Black Caribbean and Black Other)
The successful applicant would study an appropriate masters degree, such as:
This project would consider the practical implementation of the human right to water within developing countries.
It will analyse different law and governance systems that implement this right at national levels and the potential steps for improving effectiveness.
The researcher would consider the implementation of the right in the context of competing priorities and a range of governance issues.
Supervisory team
Dr Stephen Turner, Primary Discipline Supervisor, Law
Dr Osamuyimen Egbon, Secondary Discipline Supervisor, Business
Interdisciplinary focus
This project is interdisciplinary by focusing on the legal aspects of the development of the right to water and combining those with the methods that analyse governance issues, especially in regions in developing countries where demands on water supplies are stressed and can cause multiple challenges and hazards for citizens and communities.
Training and support
You will be supported through the Sustainable Transitions training programme which provides initial training in interdisciplinary research methods, training in the secondary discipline within the project area and ongoing training throughout the duration of the programme. All doctoral scholars benefit from the support of Proficio which entitles you to £2,500 that can be used to purchase training courses either within or external to the University. Additionally Sustainable Transitions scholars are entitled to £10,000 that can be used to cover research costs and further training. Scholars are encouraged to audit masters and degree level course where appropriate. You will also have the support of the Sustainable Transitions management team, as well as your own supervisory team.
All Sustainable Transitions scholars will become part of the University of Essex’s Centre for Environment and Society, through which ongoing events and networking opportunities are available.
Person specification
This opportunity would suit a candidate with a degree / background in law / international law.
It is not necessary for the candidate to have prior training in international development or environmental governance as this will be provided on the programme.
Research proposal
The project area is broadly defined, leaving scope for the applicant to develop their own specific research proposal as part of the application. The successful candidate will further develop their proposal in close consultation with the supervisory team.
Supervision
The primary discipline supervisor takes the lead responsibility for supervising the project. For further detail relating to supervision see the Guidance for Applicants (.docx) document.
Additional background information
In 2002 the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment No. 15 which recognised the human right to water and sanitation which was derived from Articles 11 and 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The right entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses. This is a fundamental requirement for human life to prevent death, dehydration and disease. It is also a requirement for cooking and personal hygiene. It therefore is associated with the inalienable right to human dignity.
The emergence of the right was in part a response to the significant numbers of people globally who were living without adequate water supplies. In 2000, the World Health Organization estimated that 1.1 billion persons did not have access to an improved water supply. By 2025 the WHO reported that there were still very high numbers of people facing water poverty. 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water, including 106 million who drink directly from untreated surface sources. There are still 3.4 billion people who lack safely managed sanitation. In addition, 1.7 billion people lack basic hygiene services at home.
Ensuring that communities are able to access adequate water supplies is a challenge which is aggravated in some regions by climate change. This may be due to desertification in some areas, the loss of glaciers in others and the stresses caused through population density in other regions. Additionally, the competition for the use of water from industrial, agricultural and energy sectors can exacerbate the scarcity of water supplies and the concomitant risks of failing to meet the requirements of the right for individuals and communities. The privatisation of water supplies in some countries has also led to significant issues that affect the right. These factors can in some instances lead to water conflict either within states or between states.
Therefore, the realisation and implementation of the right to water is characterised by challenges that relate not only to the economic capacity of a country but to a range of other legal and governance factors that require in depth analysis.
This successful applicant would firstly develop their foundational knowledge through an appropriate masters degree. They would then conduct a PhD that would focus on aspects of legal and governance regimes related to the right to water in developing countries. The study could focus on the way that international law has developed within this field, it could adopt a case study approach considering the adoption of law and governance in specific countries or regions or it could focus on a particular issue that relates to the law and governance concerning the right to water. Ultimately the project will have a practical approach that seeks to develop solutions where law and governance may still be ineffective in certain regions.
How to Apply
Full details available at Sustainable Transitions Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme.
Supervisory team references
- Stephen J. Turner, ‘The Interface between human rights and ecosystem services’ in Julia M. Ortega, Robert C. Ferrier, Iain J. Gordon, Shahbaz Kahn (eds) Water Ecosystem Services (Cambridge University Press, 2015).
- Stephen J. Turner, ‘Business, Human Rights and the Environment – Using Macro-Legal Analysis to Develop a Legal Framework that Coherently Addresses the Root Causes of Corporate Human Rights Violations and Environmental Degradation’ (2021) Sustainability 13, 12709.
- Stephen J. Turner et al (eds), ‘Environmental Rights – The Development of Standards’ (Cambridge University Press, 2019)
- Okwuosa, I., Chelli, M., Denedo, M., Egbon, O., Ejiogu, A. and Suleman, S., ‘Steering Water Accountability and Governance towards achieving SDG 6 in Nigeria and Ghana: The roles of the Accounting Profession’, (2024), A report of the 2022-2023 Africa Call for Accounting and Finance Research Initiative funded by the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA) in collaboration with the African Accounting and Finance Association (AAFA), PAFA, South Africa.
- Denedo, M. and Egbon, O. ‘Integrating the SDGs into corporate business models in Nigeria’ (2021), Corporate Sustainable Investor Report 2020, Lagos, Nigeria: CSR-In-Action.
