This is one of two PhD positions that are part of an international and multidisciplinary research project funded by the European Commission's Horizon Europe programme entitled "Water Efficient Allocation in a Central Asian Transboundary River Basin". The overall project goal is to develop and demonstrate a climate-sensitive Decision Support System (DSS) for water allocation in two sub-catchments of a transboundary glacier-fed river basin in Central Asia. Based on an innovative, data-driven water information system rooted in a deep understanding of local water availability, users' water needs, water footprints, and allocation principles and policies, the project will enable local water managers and stakeholders to increase shared benefits for communities, the economy, and the environment, while fostering the adaptation of water resources management and planning to climate change.

The specific focus of your PhD project is to estimate water demand, water footprints, and virtual water trade for the case study basins, both for the current situation and for alternative future scenarios informed by climate change and drivers such as population growth, land-use changes, and changes in energy production. Hereto, you will use and develop high-resolution water footprint assessment models and frameworks that cover a full array of water using activities. You will work together with other project partners, first to obtain global and local data to feed and validate the model estimates, and second to integrate your results with water availability estimates obtained by other partners into a water allocation model that forms the foundation of the DSS. Beside the clear policy relevance of your work, this PhD project has strong potential in improving our scientific understanding of how climate change affects sustainable, equitable, and resilient water allocation in glacier-fed river basins.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, professional, and ambitious colleague, with the following profile:

• You hold a Master's degree in an Environmental Sciences, (Data) Engineering, or Natural Sciences discipline;
• You have a strong background in water footprint assessment, water management, earth observation, or other relevant fields;
• You are skilled in hydrological or crop water modelling, (big) data management, Python and/or GIS, or are confident that you can learn these skills quickly;
• You have strong analytical skills;
• You exhibit high levels of self-motivation while also being a team player;
• You enjoy working in a multidisciplinary research setting with an international research team to achieve both scientific excellence and policy relevance;
• You are interested in short research stays in Central Asia;
• You can prove your excellent command of the English language and strong (professional) communication skills.

You will be employed full-time for a period of 4 years. The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues in which internationalization is an important part of the strategic agenda.

• A gross salary between € 2,541 per month during the first year increasing to € 3,247 per month in the last year (job profile PhD candidate);
• A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and 8.3% end-of-year;
• A solid pension scheme and an optional model for designing a personalize benefits packages;
• A maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment.

Freshwater is essential to sustain life, economic development and the environment, but it is also a vulnerable resource whose availability and quality varies strongly around the globe. We need to understand the natural and socio-economic processes that affect water resources and develop solutions for water scarcity, flooding and pollution.

The Chair of Multidisciplinary Water Management (MWM) develops and applies holistic approaches which promote sustainable and resilient management of water systems. Particularly, we study the dynamics of supply and demand of water resources in interaction with climate, land use, energy transition and agricultural management as well as production, trade and consumption. The methods we use include water footprint and life cycle assessment, hydrological modelling and integrated