PhD Study : Integrated water and sanitation in architectural design for sustainable housing in developing regions

Summary

Waterborne diseases from drinking unsafe water contribute to high incidence of illness in developing regions.  At least 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking water that is faecally contaminated and thus likely to lead to diarrheal illness: nearly 1,000 children die each day due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrhoeal diseases. In 2010, the UN General Assembly explicitly recognised the human right to water and sanitation. Everyone has the right to sufficient, continuous, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use.  Low cost technologies for safe drinking water have significant potential to improve the health of communities who rely on unsafe water, and thus improve their quality of life through reduced illnesses, reduced absence from employment, improved school attendance, improved family life, and less stress on females (normally responsible for water in household).

Low cost water treatment systems may be produced and maintained in these communities thereby potentially creating added value with social economy enterprise (pro-poor development).   Safe drinking-water is required for drinking, food preparation and personal hygiene.  Diseases related to the consumption of contaminated drinking-water place a major burden on human health. Therefore, interventions to improve the quality of drinking-water will provide significant benefits to health.  Furthermore, there is a severe lack of access to improved sanitation with up to 2.5 billion people who do not have access to improved sanitation facilities, with open defecation being widely practiced in many regions.  There is an opportunity to utilise architectural design with integrated water and sanitation, for low cost sustainable housing, which can alleviate the problems of waterborne disease.

This research will focus on integrated water and sanitation, with urban design solutions in peri-urban and rural areas.  This project involves an interdisciplinary approach with expertise in architectural design (Golden, Lecturer Architecture and Spatial Design) along with expertise in water collection and treatment, and sanitation (Byrne and Fernandez, School of Engineering).

The key focus will be the integration of rain water harvesting and solar disinfection for drinking water, along with basic sanitation facilities integrated within sustainable housing design thus preventing cross contamination within the homes.

This project is directly linked to the recently funded GCRF RCUK SAFEWATER project (£4.8 M from EPSRC).  SAFEWATER is a transdisciplinary collaboration led by Ulster (Byrne is PI), in collaboration with the University of Medellin (Colombia), University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), and the NGOs Canatro Azul (Mexico) and CTA (Colombia).  This will allow for the PhD student to be integrated into a large multidisciplinary team, and to formulate ideas with feedback from stakeholders based in ODA countries.  The proposal addresses the Ulster 5 & 50 strategic themes of Healthy Communities, Sustainability and Social Renewal.   There is significant opportunity for impact through the SAFEWATER network leading to real outcomes for the very poor in ODA countries.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living