PhD Studentship: Dynamics of land-to-lake transfers in the Lake Victoria basin

DoS: Dr Michael Watts, British Geological Survey (mwatts@bgs.ac.uk)

2^nd Supervisor: Professor Will Blake (william.blake@plymouth.ac.uk)

3^rd Supervisor: Dr Olivier Humphrey, British Geological Survey

4^th Supervisor: Dr Ruth Njoroge, University of Eldoret

Applications are invited for a 3.5 years PhD studentship.

The studentship will start on 01 October 2025.

Project Description

Background

The Winam Gulf catchment of Lake Victoria has historically been affected by poor land management practices leading to soil erosion, loss of agricultural productivity, flooding and downstream impact on lake ecology and associated fisheries. A gap in local knowledge/data and technical capacity to coordinate and deliver usable data tools was identified. This gap inhibits the dynamic understanding of the impact of soil degradation on soil-to-crop dynamics and subsequent impact on lake ecosystem/human health via the food chain. This is particularly pertinent given the growing importance of aquaculture to economic and food security in the Lake Victoria basin. Limited resources to monitor and regulate land degradation and inputs into the lake environment require scalable geospatial tools to direct limited resources for the mitigation of land degradation.

Methodology

The project will encompass two principal tasks:

1. Landscape-farm scale survey to examine how different land management scenarios impact soil erosion and subsequent effect on land-to-lake dynamics using specialist chemistry-isotope tracer and source apportionment methodology at test sites in the Winam Gulf.
2. Explore use of remote sensing data and machine learning-ML to identify potential for upscaling a GIS model versus field collected geochemistry data to inform areas that would benefit from soil erosion mitigation and protection from land clearance.

Training

To achieve these tasks, the student will receive training in field collections and community engagement, specialist laboratory techniques and data/statistical techniques in two phases:

1. Using ongoing data capture, evaluate the potential apportionment of soil/sediment chemistry to sources and locations from established field experimental plots and catchments-valleys identified from baseline data using isotope tracer and source apportionment.
2. Incorporation of remote sensing data with field collected data to provide a predictive model for soil erosion at local and regional scales.

Person specification

The candidate should have an earth/environmental science or chemistry degree and be willing to undertake fieldwork in Kenya. An aptitude for laboratory work and data handling skills would be desirable.

Eligibility and Funding

For information on eligibility and funding, please click on the links below:

• Eligibility
• Funding

To apply for this position, please click on the Apply button above.

Please clearly state the name of the studentship that you are applying for on the top of your personal statement.

Please see here for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application.

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our How to Apply for a Research Degree webpage or contact the Doctoral College.

The closing date for applications is 8^th January 2025.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview after the deadline.

We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications.

Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

The studentship is supported for 3.5 years and includes a stipend from £19,237 per annum 2024-25 rate (2025-26 UKRI rate TBC).