Conditions, limitations and effects of the participatory approach to forecasting and managing hydrological extremes (M/F)

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Current hydrological models insufficiently account for the specificities and local knowledge of karst territories, where floods can be extremely rapid and low-water periods highly pronounced. This situation fosters distrust among stakeholders regarding the simulation results of the models used, undermining decision-making for the management of extreme risks—exacerbated by climate change—and potentially hindering the anticipation and management of crisis situations. In this context, how can a hydrological model serve as a boundary object between science and territory to reduce vulnerability to hydrological extremes?

The MHOISE project proposes to experiment with a participatory and interdisciplinary approach to realistic hydrological modeling of a karst territory, aiming to better manage and anticipate risks related to hydrological extremes by integrating the situated observations and knowledge of local actors. The project thus seeks to foster dialogue and integrate these fields of knowledge (hard data and soft data). We hypothesize that when a model is co-constructed with local actors, it can become a boundary object between science and territory, facilitating a confident and constructive dialogue and optimizing risk-related decision-making. The project focuses on the Vert basin, a 117 km² area north of Cahors (EPTB Lot), characterized by a strong karst component and increasing pressures on water resources. Collaborative workshops involving various local actors are planned to map territorial knowledge, co-construct the model, calibrate it, and use it to simulate management scenarios in the face of climate extremes.

The central research question of the planned PhD thesis in sociology/social geography is: *Under what conditions can a participatory and collective approach to the implementation and use of a hydrological model—including representatives of local actors—enhance its effectiveness in predicting crisis situations and their impacts, and improve mutual understanding among the actors involved, particularly in terms of managing vulnerability to water-related risks?*

The thesis will rely on the facilitation, observation, and analysis of collaborative workshops with territorial actors, using various tools: participatory mapping, model co-construction workshops, observation grids, collective calibration/validation actions for the hydrological model, and participatory scenario-building. It will implement a qualitative methodology, comparing data before and after the participatory workshops to assess changes in actors' positions and perceptions of the hydrological model.
Particular attention will be paid to analyzing the strengths, constraints, and limits of participatory processes in the co-construction of the hydrological model, as well as their effects on the governance of hydrological risks—especially in terms of decision-making processes during crises for determining low-flow and flood discharge rates. The thesis will also explore the concept of the boundary object.

Your Work Environment

GEODE (Geography of the Environment) is an interdisciplinary environmental research laboratory based at Toulouse Jean Jaurès University. The PhD student will be hosted within the newly established THED: Transformations of Socio-Ecosystems: Habitability and Environmental Education and Sustainable Development team. They will benefit from joint supervision by Sylvia Becerra, a CNRS Senior Researcher in environmental sociology, and Anne Peltier, a lecturer-researcher in geography of risks at UT2J. From the outset, the student will be integrated into the interdisciplinary MHOISE program (awarded under the TIRIS "Scaling Up" program). They will be expected to collaborate and engage in discussions with hydrologists, while remaining firmly grounded in the human and social sciences.

Constraints and risks

The thesis will be conducted in interaction with another PhD thesis, part of the same project, focusing on hydrological modeling. This project is based on a strong complementarity between the PhD student in sociology and the PhD student with a hydrological modeling background. The success of the project relies on the mutual acculturation of both profiles to the issues of water resource management and the specificities of karst territories.
A major risk lies in the technical appropriation of the subject (modeling) and in the ability to engage in dialogue with hydrologists while maintaining a disciplinary core in the human and social sciences.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

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