PhD Water Resources in a Changing world: modelling chemical emissions in agricultural and urban systems (1.0 FTE)

The Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, at Utrecht University, will host a PhD candidate on Chemical emissions in water resources in a changing world: Integrating climate change scenarios with chemical emissions, fate and effect models of agricultural and urban systems.

Although based in Utrecht, the PhD student is expected and encouraged to participate in the Marie Curie Innovative Training Network. Three months collaborative visits to European project partners are already envisioned, as well as co-operation with both PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and KWR Watercycle Research Institute.

The research directions are:

1) Assessment and downscaling of emission sources from the different water sectors by using the Socio-Economic Pathways as implemented in the IMAGE model and use backcasting scenarios based on maximum permissible risk levels in water bodies for 2050.

2) Assessment of current and future chemical emissions, fate and effects in urban and agricultural systems for three selected regions (covering main European climates) depending on technological and governing regulations; Planned longer term visit to BOKU (Austria).