PhD: Modelling coastal migration under sea level rise and environmental degradation

Are you  interested in how coastal flooding and long-term sea level rise will affect coastal migration and adaptation? Please apply at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).

Location: AMSTERDAM
FTE: 0.8 - 1

Future sea level rise, extreme flood events, and urbanization pressure will increase coastal flood risk. Without costly flood protection measures in many regions, millions of coastal residents will be forced to move to safer locations. Plus, cliffs and sandy beaches will erode due to sea level rise, which decreases the living area for coastal residents. It will also increase the salinity of inland fresh water at the coast, lowering drinking water quality and crop production. In this way, future coastal erosion and salt intrusion will affect socio-economic conditions of coastal communities and increase migration flows.

This PhD project is part of the COASTMOVE programme. You study the adaptation behaviour of global coastal residents and other agents, such as governments. You also look at their responses to sea level rise, how they interact, and study the related impacts we mentioned. For this, we are developing a global agent-based model (ABM). This model simulates how sea level rise and related environmental degradation affects the conditions of coastal inhabitants, and if they adapt or move to safer locations.

The focus of this project is on the effects of environmental factors related to sea-level rise: coastal flooding, erosion, salt intrusion. But also on other socio-economic and demographic drivers which play an important role in migration processes. In your research, you integrate data on all these drivers (physical and socio-economic) and quantify how they affect migration behaviour between 2020 and 2100.

In your research, you will first upscale our newly developed ABM recently developed for two countries (France and the U.S) using global data and data from surveys in different countries. Next, you will extend this model with two new modules on coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion. For this, you work closely with Deltares and other organisations to derive (future) projections of erosion and saltwater intrusion. You work in a team with four other PhDs with different backgrounds, who all work on the same model and data.

Your duties

• you will extend the newly developed Agent Based Model for coastal migration to the global scale and focus on the socio economic impacts of erosion and saltwater intrusion.
• you integrate data from surveys and global databases on the socio-economic and environmental drivers of migration
• you apply future scenarios (sea level rise, population growth, coastal flooding, etc.) to simulate effects on migration
• you communicate modelling results with partners such as World Bank
• you write your PhD thesis, comprised of four peer reviewed scientific papers describing the global model and the upscaling methods

• a Master’s degree in Hydrology, Environmental Sciences, Econometrics, Spatial Geography, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Earth Sciences, Computational science, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related field
• strong quantitative skills in data-assessment and programming. You preferably have skills in Python, or you are willing to learn Python
• strong collaboration and communication skills to work in a larger interdisciplinary team of researchers involved in international research projects

A challenging position in a socially involved organisation. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2.443 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €3,111 (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 at least 0.8 FTE.

The appointment will initially be for one year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a duration of three years.
Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalised benefits package

The 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 endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 30,000 students. We employ over 5,500 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

The Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science inspires researchers and students to find sustainable solutions for complex societal issues. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to medicines and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research programmes cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. We share knowledge and experience with leading research institutes and industries, both here in the Netherlands and abroad.

Working at the Faculty of Science means working with students, PhD candidates and researchers, all with a clear focus on their field and a broad view of the world. We employ more than 1,250 staff members, and we are home to around 6,000 students.

About the institute and department
Established in 1971, IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognised 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 ).
The department of Water and Climate Risk studies hydrological and climate processes, and how these processes lead to risks and opportunities for society, the economy, and the environment. A defining characteristic of the department is a multi-disciplinary approach that combines expertise from natural sciences with knowledge from the fields of economics, e-Science and geography. This approach has led to a unique research portfolio of water and climate risk projects, and the department is a global leading institute in flood and drought risk assessment, and risk management research.

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload your motivation letter, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact details of two references (we will only contact these for candidates selected for an interview) by

.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact:

Name: Prof. J.C.J.H. Aerts or Dr T. Haer
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website: www.ivm.vu.nl

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