To apply for this project please click here. Tick programme type - Research, tick Full-time or Part-time, select Academic year – ‘2024/25, Faculty Environmental and Life Sciences’, search text – ‘PhD Ocean & Earth Science (FLOOD CDT)’. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the project and supervisor(s) you are interested in applying for. if you have any problems please contact I.D.Haigh@soton.ac.uk.
Scotland's flower industry is of utmost importance in the context of this project. For several decades, the UK has held the distinction of producing 90 percent of the world's fresh-cut daffodils and daffodil bulbs, with Scotland's daffodil-growing industry dominating the country's internal trade and export of these products to Europe and the US. However, the industry faces a pressing challenge in the form of persistent environmental uncertainties, especially the increasing frequency of flooding. These uncertainties not only weaken the flower industry but also pose a threat to related business sectors and job markets, jeopardizing their long-term sustainability. Practitioners in the flower industry find themselves under tremendous pressure to reform their business operations to mitigate the impact of these threats on their survival. Despite this urgency, it is worth noting that they, given their crucial role in the local economy and international trade, possess significant potential to influence policy reforms and community engagement. Remarkably, their capacity to bring about change is often overlooked, as they remain the least known and studied players in this domain. This project employs a mixed-method interdisciplinary approach and emphasizes community engagement to fill the existing knowledge gap.
The project will consist of three stages of data collection and analysis, which will require interdisciplinary research skills and community engagement:
(1) Stage 1: The candidate will utilize data from Climate Just (https://www.climatejust.org.uk/) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency Flood Maps to map out the flower fields that are most susceptible to flooding. This mapping exercise will focus on forecasting areas where flooding is likely to occur, incorporating longitudinal data on flood disadvantage from Climate Just and flood extent data from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency Flood Maps, in addition to other available sources of data.
(2) Stage 2: The candidate will conduct ethnographic fieldwork in three selected flower fields that have been identified as particularly vulnerable to flooding. This fieldwork will involve participant observations, in-depth interviews, and focus groups to explore the knowledge and practices of flower industry practitioners in dealing with flooding issues in their everyday lives.
(3) Stage 3: The candidate will collaborate closely with Public Policy | Southampton to develop policy recommendations. These recommendations will aim to foster collaboration between the flower industry and local communities, promoting the industry's resilience and sustainability in the face of flooding challenges. The supervisors will provide guidance and expertise in crafting evidence-based policy recommendations.
Through these three stages, the project will gather comprehensive data, insights from practitioner and expert input to inform policy development and enhance the resilience of the flower industry.
- Kazmierczak, A, Cavan, G, Connelly, A and Lindley, S. 2015. Mapping Flood Disadvantage in Scotland 2015: Final Report to the Scottish Government. At https://www.gov.scot/publications/mapping-flood-disadvantage-scotland-2015-main-report/pages/9/#:~:text=Stirling%2C%20Scottish%20Borders%2C%20and%20Perth,followed%20by%20Renfrewshire%20and%20Falkirk(Accessed 1 January 2024).
- Kim, JH, Lo, FK, Cheuk, KK, Kwong, MS, Goggins, WB, Cai, YS, Lee, SS & Griffiths, S. 2011. “Knowledge of avian influenza (H5N1) among poultry workers, Hong Kong, China.” Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17(12): 2319-2321. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1712.110321
- Bjorkman, L. 2015. Pipe Politics, Contested Water: Embedded Infrastructures of Millennial Mumbai. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
