Missions

The CNRS is recruiting a part-time post-doctoral researcher specialized in access to water in flood-prone areas of South Asia, to conduct a social context analysis and local needs assessment of villages in Bihar (India). The post-doctoral fellow will be part of a team of geographers led by O. Aubriot (CESAH) within the interdisciplinary project entitled "Empowering Democratic Institutions to Address Climate Change-Induced Flood Risks", headed by Sheetal Sekhri (University of Virginia, USA).
He/her assignments are:
- To understand the diversity of perceptions about water security during floods and flood management across stakeholder by asking questions to various categories of people in the Darbhanga district of Bihar (India), especially in the 7 blocks the project is worling on.
- To draw up a picture of the social and political organization in the two districts studied, while being aware of the power games that the presence of the project will give rise to at local level.
- To define the current capacities and limitations to a participatory approach to domestic water management in villages regularly affected by flooding.
- To co-create with 2 to 3 local communities adaptive and inclusive solutions for managing access to domestic water during floods.

Activities

The post-doctoral fellow will be required:
-to carry out bibliographical research on the various technical solutions for access to water in flood zones, on the social dimensions and limits (organizational, institutional, political) of implementing such solutions, and on the theoretical concepts developed on this subject;
- to carry out field observations (2 to 3 field visits are planned) and interviews with a wide range of stakeholders: landless people, landowners, various castes, women's groups, local elected representatives, farmers' groups or associations, members of NGOs, government departments, social activists and academics. A special attention will be paid to elected women, a group on which the project's economists are focusing.
- to contribute to periodic reporting (after each field visit) to the project manager.
- to participate in project meetings;
- to write and publish research articles in peer-reviewed journals or books;
- to give seminars and attend scientific conferences;
- to share results with local populations and the Indian NGO partner.

Skills

-- A PhD in social sciences (political science, sociology, anthropology, geography); between 2 and 7 years post-doctoral experience;
- Solid fieldwork experience in the social sciences (interviews, ethnography, etc.), preferably in South Asia.
- Good writing skills
- Fluency in English (spoken and written) and practice of one of the languages of the sub-continent.
- Previous work on floods and/or environmental governance.

Work Context

The postdoctoral fellow will be based at the Centre d'Etudes Sud Asiatiques et Himalayennes (CESAH - UMR 8077), Aubervilliers. The themes of territorial development, environmental governance and spatial justice are among the important ones that CESAH wishes to promote.
He/she will be required to carry out 2 to 3 field missions (budget foreseen for this) and to collaborate on site with the NGO Awadh Research Foundation.

Constraints and risks

CNRS administrative and trip-related procedures will be applied (request for mission order at least 30 days in advance, use of platforms to manage mission, plane tickets, justification receipts, etc.).
India is a country that requires the agreement of the Defence Security Officer (FSD) before going there.
Visas for India will be research visas, with a letter of invitation from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur.
Bihar is a state in which it is not advisable to travel alone: the post-doctoral fellow should be accompanied by an assistant.
The University of Virginia (USA) requires that all research involving human subjects be approved by the Institutional Review Boards.

Additional Information

The project in which this post-doctorate is involved is an interdisciplinary project with economists and hydrogeologists from the University of Virginia (USA). Its main objective is to empower elected women representatives so that they can seek and provide public goods to ensure water security during floods.