PhD on impact-based climate forecasting for vulnerable population groups in Africa Wageningen • Wageningen University & Research

Are you passionate about tackling climate-related challenges and empowering climate-affected communities in Africa? Do you want to pursue an interdisciplinary PhD research project with a real-world impact that supports the climate resilience of at-risk populations in five African countries. If so, an exciting job opportunity is waiting for you! We are looking for a pro-active, analytical and self-motivated PhD candidate to contribute to our understanding of advances, gaps and opportunities for impact-based forecasting for vulnerable population groups across Africa. You will work at the Earth Systems and Global Change group of Wageningen University and collaborate with researchers in Wageningen Environmental Research and colleagues at various other institutes. Your project will be embedded in the CLIMARES consortium.

About CLIMARES
CLIMARES is a consortium of researchers across Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Morocco, Mozambique, and the Netherlands. The project is supported by the Dutch research council (NWO) via the Research on Routes by Consortia (ORC) programme, Dutch Research Agenda (NWA). Our mission is to support at-risk populations—urban street vendors, fisherfolk, urban outdoor workers (street vendors in Mozambique and construction workers in Morocco), pastoralists, and displaced people—by transforming weather and climate data into actionable insights that enhance resilience and enable early adaptation.

Your Tasks
As part of this PhD project, you will contribute to the development of innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to impact-based forecasting for vulnerable population groups across Africa. Your responsibilities will include:

• Analyzing current advances, critical gaps, and opportunities in impact-based forecasting, with a focus on underrepresented population groups and hazard types.
• Developing and applying novel methodologies for identifying and quantifying under-researched climate-related hazards (e.g. for fisherfolk, urban outdoor workers, internally displaced persons, and pastoralists) as inputs to impact-based forecasting systems.
• Co-creating multi-hazard impact forecasting frameworks in close collaboration with local communities, practitioners, and decision-makers.
• Engaging in transdisciplinary research that integrates qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams at Wageningen University, Wageningen Environmental Research, and international partners within the CLIMARES consortium.
• This position offers the opportunity to make a real-world impact by helping transform climate and weather data into actionable, locally relevant insights that strengthen resilience and enable early adaptation for at-risk communities.

The candidate must have the following qualities: 

• A completed MSc degree in environmental sciences, climate studies, earth sciences, hydrology, physical geography or a related field, with a strong quantitative and systems-thinking foundation.
• Proven experience or strong interest in working at the interface of climate science, vulnerability assessment, and early warning systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary, multicultural research environment.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience in statistical analysis, geospatial data processing, or modelling of socio-environmental systems.
• Proven programming skills in Python, R, or a comparable language.
• Interest in developing methodologies to assess localized climate hazards, exposure, and vulnerability as inputs to impact-based forecasting systems.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with sensitivity to working with communities in diverse African contexts.
• Familiarity with impact-based or anticipatory forecasting or climate adaptation in low-income or informal settings is an asset.
• Excellent scientific writing skills in English. Experience publishing in peer-reviewed journals is desirable.
• Willingness to travel to and collaborate closely with stakeholders and research partners in one or more of the CLIMARES countries (e.g. Senegal, Mozambique, Uganda, Morocco, DRC).

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Confidence Duku: via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina. or Dr. Huu Loc (Josh) Ho: via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Jessa Rozema, corporate recruiter, by email: via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

Interested candidates should submit the following:

• A cover letter outlining motivation and suitability for the project (max. 2 pages).
• A CV, including relevant research experiences. The CV should include contact details for two relevant references (max. 2 pages).

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

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We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.