Primary supervisor: Professor David Butler.

Secondary supervisor: Dr Sarah Ward.

Project Description: this PhD focuses on the important role of emergency planning and preparedness in the water sector. The aim of the project is to explore the various threats or emergencies that are planned for and to understand the role of emergency planning in promoting water sector resilience. Specific areas of study will be: plans relating to drought, flood response and water contamination incidents; how such plans are implemented and; how organisational learning (from a variety of sources) may result in revision or redevelopment of these plans. 

Close attention will be paid to how a plan is matched to a threat, subsequent impacts and potential consequences and to how appropriate standards or best practice have been developed. These plans will be compared and contrasted with other sectoral emergency plans (utility, infrastructure, health), local authority emergency plans and central government advice. Methodologically, the PhD is quite flexible and a range of approaches that are complementary to the topic under study may be used. Such methods could include document content analysis, participant interviews, situational analysis or agent-based modelling.

The implications of different plans and planned responses will be incorporated into technical system models (developed by other team members) and their impact on the reliability, resilience and sustainability of the systems will be assessed. 

Recommendations for improved practice will be developed for a range of stakeholders and the candidate will facilitate project knowledge exchange, translation, communication and engagement. This PhD forms a part of Professor David Butler’s EPSRC research fellowship on developing a new paradigm for ‘Safe & SuRe’ urban water management in the UK in response to emerging challenges and global uncertainties. 

The successful candidate will work in a team of researchers embedded within the wider Centre for Water Systems at the University of Exeter.

Contact for Informal enquiries: Professor David Butler (01392 724064).

Contact for General enquiries: emps-pgr-ad<στο>exeter.ac.uk.

Application criteria

Applicants should have or expect to achieve at least a 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent, in engineering, environmental science, geography, planning or allied subjects.

To apply, visit www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/money/studentships/application and complete the online web form.  You will be asked to submit some personal details and upload a full CV, covering letter and details of two academic referees. Your covering letter should outline your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake this project.

Interview date: 9th April 2015.