PhD: The Link Between Mountains, Downstream Agriculture and Ecosystems Globally
Investigate how changing mountain hydrological cycles impact downstream water supply and global agriculture using large-scale numerical models.
Best for:Best for quantitative environmental scientists and hydrologists with strong programming skills and an interest in global climate change impacts.
Overview
Wageningen University & Research is offering a fully funded PhD position within the Water Systems and Global Change chair group as part of the international 'MountAInWater' project. The successful candidate will apply and expand large-scale hydrology-crop models to examine how melting snow and ice in global mountain ranges influence downstream river flows, agricultural irrigation, and ecosystem sustainability. Responsibilities include analyzing precipitation and reanalysis datasets, running numerical models, publishing findings in top-tier scientific journals, and contributing modestly to teaching and student supervision. Applicants should hold a relevant master's degree and bring strong quantitative modeling and programming skills.
What you'll do
- Analyze how missing complex mountain processes in global precipitation products and hydrological models affect water availability estimates.
- Quantify the importance of mountain water for global agriculture and ecosystems by evaluating meltwater interactions with crop growing seasons.
- Run large-scale hydrology-crop models combined with high-resolution mountain streamflow models for critical hotspot river basins.
- Evaluate global mountain reanalysis datasets to determine the overall contribution of mountain areas to downstream river flows, agriculture, and ecosystems.
- Publish research findings in high-ranking scientific journals and present outcomes at international conferences.
- Contribute occasionally to educational activities by assisting in courses and supervising master's students on their thesis projects.
Requirements
Degree required: MSc in Hydrology, Crop Science, Earth System Science, Environmental Science, Climate Science, or a related field
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English; C1 level proficiency required
Instruction: English
- Demonstrated experience working with large datasets and large-scale numerical modeling in the context of global change
- Programming and scripting proficiency in R, Python, or Matlab
- Msc thesis related to the quantitative assessment of water and/or food security
- Creativity in communicating and visualizing model results through maps and figures
- Willingness to learn the C programming language
- Hold a recognized Master of Science degree in a relevant discipline
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-11-02
Submit your application online through the university's recruitment portal by the specified deadline. Ensure all required application materials, including your CV and motivation letter, are properly uploaded according to the instructions provided on the application page.
- CV
- Cover letter
- MSc transcripts
Create a free profile to unlock your personal match score, the full requirements, funding details and how to apply — in English or Persian.