Crawford Economics PhD Scholarship: Valuing Nature-Based Flood Risk Mitigation Strategies

This PhD scholarship supports research within an interdisciplinary project focused on Conserving and Reconnecting Floodplains to Mitigate Flood Risk. The innovative project, funded by Natural Hazards Research Australia, brings together experts in hydrology, ecology, economics and social sciences to examine the potential of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to enhance flood resilience while delivering economic, social and environmental co-benefits in the Australian context. The successful candidate will be based at the Crawford School of Public Policy pursuing an Economics PhD and will develop a research proposal that aligns with the project's overarching aims under the supervision of Professor Yu Sheng and Dr Hayley Henderson. Potential research areas include critically evaluating and developing economic tools for assessing the cost-effectiveness of floodplain conservation and restoration, quantifying the economic benefits of Nature-based Solutions under different project scenarios, and analysing their trade-offs and co-benefits. The scholarship provides support for three and a half years of full-time study with access to world-class research facilities, mentoring from ANU experts, and opportunities for fieldwork, industry collaboration and publishing in high-ranking academic journals.