Research Group of Ecosystem Processes and Services at Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), collaborating with The Natural Capital Project at Stanford University, seek a creative and application-oriented postdoc to assess ecosystem services for hydropower in the Amazon region. The successful candidate will perform model-based assessments to quantify climate and land use change impacts on hydropower operations and revenues. Through this research, the postdoc will evaluate evidence on the role of ecosystems in maintaining hydropower benefits to support the valuation and prioritization of land conservation and management. The project is specifically focused on engaging with hydropower projects in the Amazon that were recently acquired by Chinese entities. Thus, fluency in Mandaring is required and familiarity with actors in the Chinese hydropower sector is a plus.

The postdoc will work for 12 months at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and 12 months at Stanford University, with potential to extend the appointment depending on funding and performance. At RCEES the position will be supervised by Dr. Hua Zheng. At Stanford University, the position will be based in the lab of Dr. Gretchen Daily (Natural Capital Project founder and faculty director and mentor), and will be co-supervised by project leads Dr. Rafael Schmitt and Dr. Adrian Vogl. We understand current challenges related to the COVID pandemic and are flexible with regard to the time split between RCEES and Stanford.

The Natural Capital Project (NatCap, naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu/) aims to mainstream natural capital approaches by developing practical tools and approaches to account for nature’s contributions to society, so that leaders of countries, companies, communities, and organizations worldwide can create a more sustainable future. NatCap is a partnership among Stanford University, the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, Stockholm Resilience Centre, The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and RCEES, CAS.

Responsibilities:

(i) Co-develop and refine catchment hydrologic models for evaluating climate and land use change impacts on streamflow

(ii) Develop operational models of one or few selected hydropower projects in the Amazon Region

(iii) Simulate the impact of different watershed management scenarios on hydropower generation and economics.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in catchment hydrology, hydrologic modeling, water resources engineering or a related field (Ph.D. must be obtained before start of the position)

Fluency in Mandarin Chinese and very good written and oral communication skills in English

Experience in modeling hydropower operations and hydropower economics

Skills and interest in climate and ecosystem change analysis.

Proficient in using high-level programming languages (R, Python, Matlab)

Publication record in international peer-reviewed journals Preferred Qualifications

Track -record of collaborating with hydropower developers and/or operators

Experience in managing geospatial data and using Geo-Information Systems (GIS)

Experience and interest in supervising students and research assistants

Interest in applied conservation science and producing decision-relevant research.

Affinity for working in interdisciplinary and international research teams.

Start date: January, 2021 preferred, but negotiable

Duration: 12 months at RCEES, CAS, Beijing and 12 months at Stanford University

How to apply:

Email your CV and a cover letter describing your experience and interest to zhenghua@rcees.ac.cn with HYDRO AMAZON POSTDOC in the subject. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.