Applications are now open for a funded PhD studentship on ‘Integrated energy planning for community resilience’ at Loughborough University.

About the project

Developing countries are increasingly facing multiple stresses and shocks such as climate change and disasters. Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be maintained without addressing resilience in energy planning at the community level.

Your will work in partnership with BRE Trust and contribute to the Quantifying Sustainability in the Aftermath of Natural Disasters (QSAND) self-assessment tool which promotes and informs sustainable approaches to relief, recovery and reconstruction. The tool consists of a set of questions and a scoring methodology to guide communities in decision-making to promote sustainability and resilience as they recover, and to identify and assess the suitability of solutions.

This PhD focuses on the energy component of QSAND and examines how it interacts with other components such as shelter and water. The objectives are to:

  1. develop a methodology and framework to map the synergies and trade-offs between energy and other critical infrastructures for relief, recovery and reconstruction
  2. apply the methodology and framework to case studies of communities in a developing country, involving fieldwork to collect qualitative and quantitative data
  3. develop decision support tools to help communities and aid agencies to plan energy solutions in a way that enhances overall resilience.

Applications close 19 July 2020.

Read more and apply for this PhD opportunity here.