Did you know that we can preserve healthy coral reefs through sustainable land use? Do you want to contribute to healthier coral reefs in the Dutch Caribbean by developing innovative co-design methods for sustainable land use options? Please apply at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Location: AMSTERDAM FTE: 1 Job descriptionThe Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) recently awarded a grant to a new project called Land, Sea, and Society: Linking terrestrial pollutants and inputs to nearshore coral reef growth to identify novel conservation options for the Dutch Caribbean (SEALINK): The Program intends to provide a comprehensive understanding of ocean pollution and coral reef health in the Dutch Caribbean. A total of 9 PhD positions in varying scientific disciplines are available through this project including the one advertised here. Water quality is among the key drivers of coral reef health. In coastal waters, the origin, abundance, and distribution of pollutants and other compounds can positively or negatively affect the survival of coral reef communities. These inputs are influenced by terrestrial processes, particularly human activities in the form of the use and management of the land. In this PhD position, the student will look into the trends in land use change in the coastal zone and how more sustainable land management can be achieved. This willbe studied together with other PhD students in the project that focus on the flow of possible pollutants to the ocean and the impacts on the reef will be assessed. The PhD student will use an innovative scenario approach combining field work in the Dutch Caribbean with advanced simulation models to (1) assess how uncertain developments like tourism and urbanization will impact the land-water system and, (2) co-design solutions (using optimization models and a participatory process with stakeholders) to navigate tradeoffs between environmental and development objectives within a context of feasibility and willingness. Methods will include the development of land use scenarios and activity models in collaboration with local stakeholders in the Dutch Caribbean to simulate potential future developments, while optimization models will serve to back-cast optimized land use and activity configurations accounting for the variability in the coastal system and the land-sea transport of pollutants, ensuring healthy marine ecosystems. This PhD position aims at transforming thinking among stakeholders and delivering a range of clear management options for sustainable coastal use under different, uncertain, future contexts.
Requirements
What are we offering?A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,395 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €3,061 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time employment. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for 1 FTE.
About Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamThe ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavour – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences. IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognized for its high quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM’s research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Policy Analysis; Environmental Geography; and Water and Climate Risk. Since 2001 IVM is part of the Faculty of Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (www.ivm.vu.nl). ApplicationAre you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload your curriculum vitae and cover letter until March 15, 2021.
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