PhD on the Ecological Limits to Global Groundwater Use (1.0 FTE)

What will you be doing?
In many areas of the world, groundwater is overexploited, leading to the depletion of groundwater volumes in aquifers and the associated decline of groundwater levels and groundwater fluxes to streams, lakes and wetlands. This, in turn, leads to the loss and deterioration of groundwater-dependent aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and associated biodiversity. You will assess the impact of groundwater extraction on groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) worldwide and, for the first time, map the ecological limits of groundwater use. To this end, you will first map the global extent of GDEs using groundwater levels and groundwater discharge estimates from a state-of-the-art global hydrological model aided with remote sensing information. You will then use global biodiversity monitoring datasets to assess species richness as a function of the size (extent, volume or discharge) of the mapped GDEs. Finally, you will use simulated groundwater levels and discharge from the global hydrological model to estimate past and future changes in the size and species richness of GDEs and to assess ecological limits of groundwater extraction. You will also attempt to estimate the negative effects of groundwater use on GDE-status in terms of economic losses through ecosystem services. You will work closely together with two postdocs, who are responsible for advancing the global hydrological model, and with two PhD candidates who will assess the physical and economic limits to groundwater use.