Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL
The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL and Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, are internationally networked research institutes within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). We work on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards andconduct research, education and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.
As part of a joint initiative of WSL, Eawag and Agroscope on “Integrated Water Management: Synergies between Flood Protection, Irrigation, and Biodiversity.” we are developing baseline knowledge on model-based assessment of water retention in the landscape. Our focus is both on a Swiss scale assessment of potential of storing flood water and evaluation of local landscape management solutions for water retention.For this joint initiative we are looking for a qualified candidate, starting in summer/fall 2026 as a
PhD student “Modeling of water storage in the landscape for demand-oriented multi-purpose use” (f/m/d)
You operate different hydrological models to explore the research topic at the scale of Switzerland and focussed on target areas in the major river valleys in the Canton of Aargau. You will explore options to provide local nature-based water retention during flood discharges and thus improve water supply during droughts for different purposes. You interact with stakeholders (farmers and local decision makers) to identify their needs to increase confidence in decision about mitigation measure during droughts and floods. You publish your findings in scientific journals. Your workplace will be at WSL (Birmensdorf/ZH) and at Eawag (Dübendorf/ZH), with frequent exchanges with Agroscope (Reckenholz/ZH). You will be supervised by scientists of all involved institutions.
You hold a master from a technical university and focused your academic education in environmental sciences, earth sciences or applied mathematics. Interest and experience in hydrological research with conceptual and physical models are an advantage. You have strong background in statistical analysis of large amounts of data (geostatistics and time series). We expect you to be proficient in R and/or Python. You are highly motivated to apply your know-how to solve current scientific questions and contribute to integrated water management and mitigation of climate impacts on water resources and use. You have preferably already some experiences in writing and publishing scientific work. For interaction you are fluent in English and with stakeholders is the proficiency of the German language and a valid driving licence a must. Your thesis will be affiliated with the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Basel.