Phd in Decision Support Methods to Foster - Zurich, Schweiz - ETH Zürich

ETH Zürich

Geprüftes Unternehmen

Zurich, Schweiz

vor 2 Wochen

Geschrieben von:

Lena Schneider

beBee Recruiter

Beschreibung

PhD in Decision support methods to foster regenerative construction solutions and increase resilience of vulnerable and undeserved communities:

100%, Zurich, fixed-term:

Project background:

The rise of global surface temperatures is causing more extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and storms.

Designing the built environment for integrated environmental and social sustainability and high resilience against extreme weather is crucial to face and mitigate the challenges of the ongoing rapid increase in climate-related disasters, especially in areas inhabited by vulnerable populations.

Such design calls for holistic, inclusive, regenerative, and self-sustaining approaches which result in an overall net positive impact on the environment and the communities living in it.

This project proposes an interdisciplinary participatory approach to generate resilient strategies to sustainably and durably regenerate the built environment in vulnerable and undeserved communities, focused on key risks related to socio-ecological systems in littoral areas, water security and critical physical infrastructure.

The general objective is to develop a framework for the co-design of regenerative solutions for the built environment in vulnerable communities that increase their resilience to climate change local effects.

Our project spans three continents with Living Labs in Colombia, Indonesia, and the USA, each involving local stakeholders and international research partners.

These case studies will be used to create a roadmap that can guide the process of proposing technological solutions to address the specific needs of vulnerable communities, focusing on their exposure to and perception of climate change-related risks.

Job description:

The objective of the PhD is to develop a framework allowing to implement placed based solutions that can improve the resilience of local communities and regenerate both environment and local economy.

Such framework serves as base for co-designing solutions with the community, considering on one side local resource availability (material and immaterial), legal and social constraints, natural threats due to climate change and on the other side technical and sustainability performance of various design options.

The PhD works more specifically in Colombia, but framework is intended to be transferrable to other contexts.

Following tasks are envisioned:
- _Environmental Analysis and climate

Risk Assessment:
_ Develop methods to identify climate-related risks for the built environment, including social, economic and environmental perspectives.
- _Identify regenerative constructive solutions:_ Work closely with experts from various fields including building engineering, urban planning and social sciences to identify and tailor regenerative solutions, ensuring they respond effectively to the assessed risks and community needs. Main task of the PhD will be to develop reliable method providing graspable results to present whole sustainability consequences of implementing the various solutions proposed by various stakeholders.
- _Co-design regenerative solutions_ enhancing climate resilience which are economically viable and trigger positive outcome for both the community and the planet. Once the sustainability assessment method is developed, it can be implemented on various options and can contribute to the adaptation of these solutions based on community feedback and cultural appropriateness, ensuring the solutions are sustainable and embedded within the local context.
- _Knowledge Transfer and Implementation:_ PhD engages in the translation of research findings into practical, on-ground strategies that improve local living conditions and environmental sustainability. PhD is also expected to disseminate sustainability assessment method to wider audience in order to be used in other contexts by governmental and non-governmental bodies.

Your profile:

Holds a Master degree in Geography, Environmental Science, Civil or environmental engineering, Architecture or related fields.

- is fluent in Spanish and English in order to engage with local community. (Spanish proficiency is a requirement)
- is skilled in modelling, comfortable with python language and GIS or ready to learn them fast (and able to demonstrate that) with a strong interest in participatory research methods.

Has knowledge in building constructions.
Share sustainability values and willingness to engage with local communities.

We offer:

Working on an exciting project carried out in a multicultural and interdisciplinary research group at ETH Zurich equipped with excellent computational and lab facilities.

The group is currently composed of 20 people coming from 10 countries with 70% female employees. PhD student can expect regular meeting with senior person in the team, while still being allowed independent work. English is the working language in the group. Spanish is working language with community in C