PhD Position in Groundwater Care and Transformational Politics (Peru)
Explore groundwater governance and transformative practices in Peru through interdisciplinary political ecology and ethnographic research.
Best for:Best for researchers with a master’s in human geography, development studies, or anthropology, eager to merge ethnographic methods with hydrogeology and feminist political ecology.
Overview
This PhD position at the University of Amsterdam offers a unique opportunity to investigate how communities in Peru care for, protect, and recharge groundwater systems. Embedded in the ERC-funded Aquiverse project, the research examines the role of groundwater initiatives in shaping sustainable livelihoods and transformative politics. The successful candidate will conduct ethnographic and hydrogeological fieldwork in Peru, combining thick empirical description with theoretical contributions to political ecology and environmental humanities. The project spans four years, with close collaboration among a multidisciplinary team of PhD students, postdocs, and senior researchers. Ideal for scholars passionate about interdisciplinary social science and environmental justice.
What you'll do
- Conduct ethnographic fieldwork to document everyday practices of groundwater care initiatives in Peru, including recharge and conservation projects.
- Perform institutional and hydrogeological documentation and assessment of groundwater initiatives’ performance and functionality.
- Analyze the historical and political-ecological links between groundwater depletion and neo-liberal agrarian transformations.
- Investigate how irrigators navigate pressures to intensify or over-exploit groundwater resources in study sites.
- Collaborate with the Aquiverse research team to integrate findings into comparative cross-case studies of groundwater governance.
- Present research findings at academic conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals.
- Participate in PhD training programs offered by the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) and the Graduate School of Social Sciences.
Requirements
Degree required: Master’s degree in Human Geography, Development Studies, Anthropology, or a closely related field.
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English proficiency at a level suitable for academic research; Spanish proficiency required for fieldwork in Peru; Quechua proficiency is an advantage.
Instruction: English
- Experience with ethnographic research methods, including qualitative data collection and analysis.
- Familiarity with agrarian systems and water governance in Peru or similar contexts.
- Basic understanding of hydrogeology or willingness to learn.
- Excellent academic writing and communication skills in English.
- Ability to conduct fieldwork in remote rural areas of Peru.
- No specific nationality restrictions, but ability to travel and work in Peru is required.
- No age restrictions, but the position is designed for early-career researchers.
- No prior experience caps, but relevant research experience is preferred.
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-11-02
Applicants must submit a single PDF document containing an application letter (max 2 pages), CV, a writing sample (max 25 pages), and contact information for two academic references. Letters of recommendation are not required. Apply via the university’s online portal.
- Application letter (max 2 pages)
- CV
- Writing sample (max 25 pages)
- Contact information for two academic references
Contact
Margreet Zwarteveen· Supervisor
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